


Reservoir Chronicle

by seonghwasheart



Series: Ateez: World Chronicle [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood, But I try and keep it not too gruesome for now, Dimension Travel, Eventual Romance, Feelings, Fighting, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, It's tsubasa honestly that's the thing, Love Confessions, M/M, Mages, Magic, Multi, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Swordfighting, There's some talk of violence, Violence, no beta we die like men, some character death but it's only ocs, surprise! it's monsta x
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:01:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 139,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23778826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seonghwasheart/pseuds/seonghwasheart
Summary: Fate made coming together easy.But every path was difficult.Worlds have been brought together by the loss of Prince Yeosang's memories. Jongho, Yeosang's most important person, will come face to face with the very thing he fears most: Yeosang losing every memory he's ever had of him. But with the help of Seonghwa, a mage whose smiles are fake and his powers hidden by his own secret guilt, and Hongjoong, a sword wielding, former palace bodyguard to Prince Yunho who takes Jongho under his wing, perhaps all hope is not lost.All it will take is a little inter-dimensional travel. Maybe a little love. But a whole lot of trust.(Or: a self-indulgent Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle AU for Ateez)
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Ateez: World Chronicle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713019
Comments: 39
Kudos: 116





	1. Coming Together

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to Reservoir Chronicle, an AU aptly named after Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. It's an inspired work, so I've taken a number of liberties and changed some of the basic stuff. But the idea is still the same-- magic, ninjas, angst, inter-dimensional travel, and clones. Angst!
> 
> Thank you for reading! More notes will be at the end!

Fate made coming together easy.

But every path was difficult.

~xXx~

Staring out over the night-covered village, Hongjoong felt like he could see forever.

The wood of the palace roof was a pain under him, his sword’s hand was jabbing at his side as well, but he made no motion to move. Not yet. He already knew that Yunho was going to kick his ass for running off and fighting again. Hongjoong also knew that Mingi wasn’t exactly going to back him up anymore. Not the way he used to. Besides, he liked the alone time. On his terms.

Hongjoong knew he deserved it. He deserved the yelling, the stares, the _disappointment_ that came from his master. Yunho had been the one who saved him, after all. That was the thing about those with magic over dreams: they always knew when to come, and they always knew what to do.

Staring out over the night-covered village, Hongjoong was reminded of his childhood.

\---

_His father had been a general in the war, gifted an entire village to be the lord over for his dedication to the country and his emperor. His father had been a great man, strong, powerful, a true born leader. He ruled with such a tight fist, but was… gentle, in his own way. The type of man you would bow your head to and follow into hell itself. The type of man who always wore his family’s sword strapped to his side and a keen look in his eye. Tall, dark, and everything Hongjoong wished he could have been. He had idolized his father as any young man should but had always felt like an inferior shadow to him._

_His mother was everything his father wasn’t. A woman with power over dreams, she was the beloved priestess of their village. Her dedication to the gods meant she had spent most of her time alone in a shrine, praying, using her magic to create a barrier around their village that kept them safe from intruders. Where his father always wore his sword and his armor, his mother had worn the most beautiful silk robes, her hair decorated with beautiful ornaments from the country his father had met her in. She was beautiful. His mother spoke as softly as the petals on flowers, and her gaze carried the reassurance that everything would be fine._

_Hongjoong had many wonderful memories of his father, sure, don’t get him wrong. Memories of his father teaching him how to fish in the pond near their home, of sword fighting trees to the best of his ability, hearing stories of his father’s time in war, what a strong man he had been according to the village’s man, and of feeling like an adult whenever his father allowed him to sit in on meetings with him when he had diplomats and other lords over. These moments made him feel like a man. Like the strong man he needed to be._

_Not what he was._

_His memories with his mother were softer. He remembered sitting and watching the servants help his mother prepare her long hair into braids, watching the ornaments carefully be put in their places, all the while Hongjoong sat on her lap and listened to her sing. His mother told stories of magic users like herself, how when she dreamed, she met them sometimes. Hongjoong had always pouted and wished he had been born with magic like her. He never dreamed. She would comfort him when he cried, keeping him from his father, telling him there was strength in showing emotion. He wasn’t weird or weak because of it._

_Hongjoong could remember the day it happened. The day everything fell apart._

_He had awoken to a normal day. Sliding his door open and hurrying out, an 9-year-old Hongjoong had stumbled out to see his favorite sight. The sight of his father lifting his mother’s long hair to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss as they watched one another. He had never doubted their love for one another. He ran between them, like always, gripping at his mother’s robes until he was lifted into the air between them. It was normal—it was supposed to be fine._

_Night gave way to madness. Hongjoong had seen the fires in the distance, he watched the smoke get closer. He felt fear watching his father and his men grab their weapons and mount their horses. But he had to be brave, right? His father had been a strong general. He could save them, he would make sure everything would be alright. He had never seen them so frantic before, what could possibly be happening?_

_In his fear, Hongjoong ran for his mother’s shrine. Servants swarmed him, grabbing at him and telling him to stay out. But he was desperate, running off of his rising adrenaline until he reached the inner chamber. And he saw her. His mother, paler than ever, sweating, her hands shaking and blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth as she prayed. What was happening? What had happened to his mother?_

_With his legs shaking, Hongjoong backed up and bolted from the shrine, wishing he had never seen his mother in such a state. Everyone was frantic, screams of people filling the air, and Hongjoong was nearly trampled when he tripped on the stone path trying to run back to his home. Instead, he ran for the woods he knew so well, where he had spent countless hours training in vain with his father. If he hid, covered his ears, he would be able to make it until his father returned victorious. Then they could take care of his mother and everything would be alright._

_Hongjoong wasn’t sure how long he had been hiding when the screams began dying down. He uncovered his ears and slowly crawled out of the log, wondering, fearing still, if it was over. As he approached his village once more… he knew all was lost._

_Bodies lined the streets, coating the demolished buildings with red. People he had grown up seeing, who had cared for him, all… gone. Bits of their bodies were torn and thrown about; the ground deep red as it soaked up the blood of the unfortunate victims. What could have done this? His father told stories of demons, his mother speaking of beings beyond their world who wreaked havoc, but Hongjoong had never seen such things in his life. Mother._

_His mother._

_Hongjoong ran for his mother’s shrine, ignoring the way his sandals squelched in the blood, ignoring the bodies he had to jump over as he hurried away. He had to be brave, he had to help her. He had to keep his mother safe, how could he have left her?_

_He remembered feeling as though he had blacked out until he reached her shrine, half in ruins, with the servants who had tried to force him away scattered on the ground in pieces. His small fists clenched at his sides, tears forming in his eyes, legs shaking once more, he knew he had to have the courage to see her. If she was still alive, he had to help her. So, he picked his legs up, and he hurried into the rubble to see where she was._

_She was alive. Barely, but she was there._

_Hongjoong had gasped upon seeing her, but when he ran to his mother’s slumped form, she held a hand back and silently told him to stop. Her head slowly turned, and the divine image of his mother was nowhere to be found. Her body was deathly pale, her hair unruly, braids coming undone, the ornaments had fallen out, and her beautiful silk robes were stained with blood. Her lips, chin, and cheeks had streaks of her own blood she had wiped, and fear filled her eyes as she lifted a finger to her lips to silently tell her son to be quiet. Hongjoong fell to his knees, terrified upon seeing not just the state of his beloved mother, his sun, but seeing fear in her eyes for the first time._

_Before them, a tapestry on the wall began to twist and turn, until a loud rip could be heard loudly in the stagnant air. Crowd began to scream around them, Hongjoong’s head whipping around to try and see where they were coming from. But as the ripping became louder, the young boy looked back to see it was not the tapestry that had ripped but… the wall. A rift in time and space had opened, and before he could even act, a sword jutted from the rip and stabbed his mother through the chest. Hongjoong was silent, for he was too afraid to utter a single sound._

_The crowing began to become louder and louder as the rip opened more and more, Hongjoong’s terrified frame backing up until he hit one of the dilapidated walls of the shrine. When he looked up, he saw them. Creatures—no, not creatures, demons flying above him. A swarm of mutated humanoid crows, larger than even his father, each with three sets of wings and the sharpest beaks he had ever seen on a bird. They cackled like mad men above him, swarming in a circle, until they slowly began to fly into the rift that had opened. And as they moved, something fell before Hongjoong._

_A sword, with his father’s hand still attached._

_No one noticed him. No creature attempted to attack him. When the last of them were gone, Hongjoong was left alone with the bloodied, dead body of his mother, in a village of death and despair. He was alone. Hongjoong had been a coward and had hid. In the moment, he didn’t care that he was a child. He should have been there, he felt as though if he had been there, they would have lived. Something dark rose in the boy’s chest as he crawled forward and grabbed the sword, leaving his father’s hand behind, and pulled his mother’s body against him. Something maniac within him, something that swore to never be weak again bubble inside of him._

_Hongjoong was unaware how many hours he had sat in the half-destroyed shrine before someone came. He had been brought out of his trance by the sound of a horse, then the sounds of little footsteps entering his mother’s shrine. Hongjoong lifted his head up to see two boys standing before him. Both younger, but taller already than Hongjoong was. One dressed in simple robes like Hongjoong himself, his hair a peachy red color, and he gripped onto the other boy—one Hongjoong guessed was… royalty, given his luxurious robes and the colors they bore, and the beautiful white of his hair. He was smiling brightly, and he reached his clean hand out to Hongjoong._

_“Hi. My name is Yunho, and this is Mingi. We came to get you, Hongjoong.”_

\---

“… joong. _Hongjoong_!”

Hongjoong blinked out of his trance, wind whipping through his hair as he looked towards the ground. Ah, shit. Mingi had found him. Hongjoong rolled his eyes and stood up on the beam of the main gate’s roof, a hand running through his hair before he tightened the straps of cloak around his shoulders. Because of the bright red of their uniforms, Mingi always seemed to find him. Maybe he should find a new hiding spot.

“To be fair, a guard _should_ be guarding the main gate, Mingi.” He slowly slid down and hopped off of the gate, brushing his pants off as he walked up to the taller boy, who was just giving him a wry look that faded when he sighed and put a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder.

“Didn’t even give me time to say anything this time, hyung. You been practicing that line up there all night? Nope, wait, you were _actually_ —”

“Alright, actually, that’s enough out of you.” Hongjoong swatted Mingi’s hand away and moved half a step away from him. “Told you not to call me ‘hyung’ when we were working. Just call me Hongjoong.”

The younger of the two sighed and tipped his black hat down as he walked. When Hongjoong had arrived at Yunho’s palace in Hanguk all those years ago, Mingi, though younger, had taken Hongjoong under his wing. Both of their fathers had been in the war, both had been taught to fight, and Yunho decided that it would be nice if they both trained together to be guards. Mingi had always been meant to become Yunho’s personal bodyguard, something about a childhood promise, but Yunho wanted Hongjoong too.

The eldest suspected it was out of pity, but he had been given access to the palace library when he had free time. So, he didn’t question Yunho about his choice.

“Hyung, Yunho is worried about you. Like _really_ worried. You know I can’t stand to see him like this. He’s already received three reports from the others about you fighting again. It’d be different if they deserved it, but this whole—this whole thing about fighting every damn person in the kingdom to prove you’re the strongest is _asinine_. It’s _useless_ , hyung. Why do you have to—”  
  
“You _know_ why, Mingi.” Hongjoong’s boots softly tapped against the stone path as they walked back towards the palace, Hongjoong’s jaw tight as he looked straight ahead, paying no mind to the younger man getting closer to him yet again. Suddenly, their red robes felt all too warm and irritating on his skin. Hongjoong had tried getting Yunho to give them black robes, at least black pants, something less noticeable, lighter, but he just told Hongjoong no. Horrible, really. At least he had been allowed to carry his father’s sword. “You and Yunho are the only two who know.”

Mingi just gave him a saddened, subdued look. “Regardless, Yunho wanted me to find you. He wants you to come and see him.”

When they approached the palace, the other guards sneered at Hongjoong, to which he merely glared back. He’d kicked their asses a while before, they knew better than to mess with him. The two walked in silence to the throne room, much to Hongjoong’s pleasure. It was when they entered and Mingi walked up to stand by Yunho, enthroned and beaming like the sun, that Hongjoong became concerned.  
  
“What is this? _Your Highness_ , what is the meaning of this—” Hongjoong’s mouth snapped shut the second Yunho raised his hand. There was no malice in the hand. In fact, Yunho was smiling, and resumed sitting with his hands in his lap. God, he was too nice. Yunho was a natural leader. Reminded him… sometimes of his father, the way he handled things. But his gentle nature was what reassured Hongjoong the most.

“You can call me Yunho right now, it’s fine. I… I’ve been thinking, Hongjoong. I don’t think there’s anything more I can do for you. The fighting won’t stop, I see, and it’s troubling for me—”

“Yunho, I don’t understand—”

Another hand, and Hongjoong went silent.

“It’s troubling for me to see you like this and know there’s nothing more I can do to help you, hyung.” Such a common title made Hongjoong feel sick when the prince used it. He didn’t deserve it. “But there is someone who can.”

Before Hongjoong could open his mouth and question what games the prince was playing out, the floor beneath him began to shake and move until—it was a rip. Just like the one that had sent the sword that killed his mother. Hongjoong’s head shot up, eyes angry and wide, but when he tried to move, he was only sucked into the rift faster.

“Yunho! After everything, what the hell is this?! What do you mean there’s someone that can help me?!”

Yunho only waved. He spoke no words, and Mingi merely looked on terrified. His hand gripped at Yunho’s throne as he watched one of his only two friends be sucked away into an abyss, screaming profanity and _swearing_ he would return, until the rift swallowed him entirely and disappeared. Mingi hadn’t noticed he was holding his breath until Hongjoong was gone. The room was silent, and he felt… strangely lighter.

“Did you… make the right choice, Yunho?”

Yunho’s smile slowly began to fade as the prince reached a hand up to find Mingi’s

“I had no other choice. I’m still in her debt.”

~xXx~

Seonghwa had no time to spare. He had to hurry—fuck, fuck he had to hurry. He wasn’t sure how much longer the spell would last.

“ _Heeyoung_! I need my staff, hurry!” Seonghwa called out into the cold, stale palace of ice, watching as the body of his mentor Hyungsik slowly drifted into the water abyss of the well below. As Seonghwa pulled on the dark mage robes he typically only wore when traveling, a small girl in a white dress peeked her head around the corner. She was no older than 16 by her looks, her dark hair short, just to her chin, and brown eyes wide as she slowly approached Seonghwa. He gave the girl a look of pity and raised his hand to stroke her cold cheek. The other hand reached out and gripped onto the heavy, intricately ornamented mage’s staff. White gold, engraved with images of birds, with delicate crystals of blue gloating above it.

“Hwa, are you going to come back?” The girl’s voice was light, quiet, echoing in itself like a song. Oh, he was going to miss her. Heeyoung’s company was perhaps the only good thing that had happened to him. And he had been the one to bring her into this world.

“I’m afraid not, my flower. My finest creation, you’ve served me so well. But I have one final task for you. It’s the most important thing you’ll ever do for me.” The mage’s black laced boots clacked against the floor, his long black, hooded cloak drifting behind him like a veil as he took her small hand in his own and led her over to the well. It had been a fantastical fountain in the middle of the foyer of the palace at one time. Until Hyungsik had gone mad, his distorted magic slowly demolishing everything around him.

“I can never come back, my flower, but I need to make sure he doesn’t come out for as long as possible. I need to go very, very far away from here. I need you to be the barrier that surrounds that coffin and keep him locked up as tight as you can for as long as you can, alright? Do you remember the stories I told you of the blue butterflies? Like the one I used to create you?” She nodded, somber. Seonghwa’s sad smile only widened. “Good. That butterfly will keep you safe and give you the strength to keep him pushed back. When the butterfly’s magic gives out and he wakes up, you’ll become that beautiful butterfly and live happily, I promise. And when that happens, we’ll be reunited.”

The young girl gripped his hand tighter, her gaze falling to the dark waters of the well before meeting Seonghwa’s eyes again.

“He scares me, Hwa. He almost killed you. What if he tries to hurt me too?”  
  
“No—no, no, my flower. I would never put you in harm’s way. He can never hurt you again, the spell I placed on him will keep him asleep and powerless for a long time. With you helping, it’ll be even longer. And like I said, when the butterfly runs out of magic, you and I will be reunited. You’ll return right back to my side.”

The girl, a beauty without a soul, looked away from her creator for a moment before nodding her head. “Okay, Hwa. If it means… keeping you safe.”  
  
God, Seonghwa couldn’t do this. Heeyoung resembled his mother in so many ways, the same dark hair as him, the same eyes she had, seeing her so upset it—it reminded him too much of memories he wished to purge. Thousands of years of torture, he wished would all go away. He knelt down and hugged her as tight as he could, burying his face in her shoulder for the last time.  
  
“Okay, Heeyoung. Let’s hurry.” Raising his staff, Seonghwa wrote a fast spell into the air, one whose words surrounded the young girl and transformed her body into a series of swirling, twisting black wire. She would feel no pain and showed no emotion as her body, fake as it was, morphed. He pointed the staff down towards Hyungsik’s watery grave, sending the new magic barrier down to surround where he was in the water. Seonghwa hadn’t cried in centuries, but he came very close in that moment. Now he was truly, truly alone again.

But hadn’t he always been alone?

No, he couldn’t allow himself to think back to those times. Seonghwa had a mission he had to complete, and now was as good a time as any. But it felt… too fast. This ending to it all, it felt too _fast_. His fight with Hyungsik had gone on forever, but… Heeyoung, the spell, was it too fast?

Hiemis had been his home for _centuries_. Hyungsik was his mentor, the one who had _understood_ him and taught him how to use his cursed magic. Why had everything gone so bad? Ah, right. Because he was a curse. He had always known that.

Seonghwa looked around the empty, tattered foyer once more before slamming the end of his staff to the ground. He had no time to think about the past. With any luck, his mission would allow him to forget it completely. When it was over, he could run away to the farthest universe possible.

With his cloak fastened and fur lined hood up over his head, Seonghwa watched as tendrils of magic spewed from the rift he had opened in the floor, eyes shutting as they swallowed him whole, leading him out and away to his destiny.

~xXx~

“Jongho, I’m not a doll, I _can_ carry shit you know.”

Jongho merely shook his head and pouted his lips out, mocking the blond beside him. Yeosang just sputtered a laugh and rolled his eyes. The wind of the desert rippled around them, sticking sand to Jongho’s tanned skin as he carried the box of tools back to his little house in the village. After his father had passed, Jongho had taken to picking up and continuing the archeological work he’d begun here in Anthina. His father taught him all the tricks of the trade, every language he knew, and though the man had not been his biological father… he was everything to Jongho. Finishing his work was the right thing to do.

“Seriously, it’s _fine_. You don’t try to act cute until you want to tease me. I know that stuff is heavy.” Yeosang pulled the cream-colored scarf further up on his face to shield himself from the sand, matching the loose cream shirt and pants that he wore. Most everyone wore light colors in the desert, it kept them cool in the sun, but combined with his skin and honey colored hair, Yeosang… was very clearly a poorly concealed prince. It got them looks, but everyone knew of his friendship with Jongho.

“Not happening, _Your Highness_. I’m not letting you lift a finger. You remember I can crack fruit in half with my bare hands, right? A box of my tools is nothing.” To emphasize his point, Jongho moved the move to rest just in one hand, which he began lifting up and down—with his non dominant hand, to be exact.

“Please, call me Yeosang-hyung.” The honey-blond’s cheeks turned a faint pink, something he covered by avoiding Jongho’s gaze and continuing their trek back to the boy’s house. A few people noticed Yeosang and bowed to him, to which he just smiled and waved in return. His older brother, the king, was much more… personable. Outgoing. Yeosang was fine just being with Jongho and no one else.

“See? Can’t just call you Yeosang when we’re out. Can’t let people know I can be disrespectful. Imagine how that would ruin my image.” That just earned Jongho an elbow to the side from Yeosang, who would have done worse had they not arrived at Jongho’s little house.

When Yeosang walked in, he immediately went to sit on Jongho’s bed against the wall. It was just a little one room home, just a small area for cooking, Jongho’s bed, and his desk. The toolbox went right beneath the desk where they had always been, and Jongho walked to his little stove to start the fire so he could offer the prince some tea.

They had always been like this to Jongho’s knowledge.

Jongho had quite literally awoken walking the streets of Anthina when he was nearly a teenager. He had no idea who he was, where he was, and had no recollection of walking or even arriving in the kingdom. What Jongho remembers of that time was the man he would call his father finding him, and meeting Yeosang for the first time. Jongho had felt… void of emotion, empty, until he met Yeosang. Because Yeosang had taken him in, cared for him, and been so gentle with him. Yeosang had quickly become everything to him.

They were older now, Yeosang turning 22 and Jongho 20, but Yeosang was still gentle with him. He knew when to be. When his father passed, having gotten lost in a labyrinth in the ruins and gone missing for weeks, Yeosang had secretly spent the night in the small house for many nights, avoiding palace guards entirely, and had comforted him by simply being there and distracting him.

Jongho had felt joy having a father. He had someone who cared for him and taught him how to be a person. Gave him memories he could hold onto. Taught him language, history, made him strong, made him comfortable with himself. It was more than he could have ever asked for. Jongho had no memories of his life before. He had been an empty shell. And then all of the space in his mind and heart for memories became Yeosang. It was always, always Yeosang.

Jongho could see the way Yeosang’s eyes lit up the happier he had become, and he had decided then he would do everything in his power to make the older happy. Prince or not.

\---

_“Jongho, where are we?”_

_A young, 16-year-old Yeosang had managed to follow his new friend up a set of stairs belonging to a temple ruin in Anthina’s desert. It was hard, he wasn’t used to this, but it was the first time in the 6 months Jongho had been excited to show him something. His new friend had been found cold, alone, and aimlessly walking around. But the man who loved the ruins and explored them had taken Jongho in, given him the name, and taught him about the ruins. From what Yongsun had said, Jongho had taken well to the lessons. He seemed to like exploring. Yeosang tried to spend time with him but was often quiet as he watched his friend read the books on languages his new father knew._

_So when Jongho came up to him and asked for Yeosang to follow him so he could show him a surprise, with light in his eyes that rivaled the sun above them, Yeosang immediately agreed. It was daytime, so Yongsun let him out to play around for a bit. Jongho’s father was at the site as well, so it would be fine. Yeosang hadn’t been so excited in a long, long time._

_Jongho himself hadn’t felt excitement like he was feeling then in… well, he couldn’t remember, in fact. But in the 6 months of memories he contained, he hadn’t felt excitement. Jongho had wanted to figure out a way to repay his new friend for the kindness and gentle nature he had shown him as he got used to… existing. He looked back to see Yeosang making it slowly up the final few stairs, offering his hand to help pull Yeosang the rest of the way up._

_“Sorry, Your Highness. It’s just a little further inside. But we go down instead of up once inside. I… discovered a room a week or two ago. He told me it was alright to take you in. The building is stable, given how old it is.”  
  
Jongho ignored the feeling he got holding Yeosang’s hand for the briefest of moments. The sun had begun to set, so Jongho retrieved the lantern and matches that he brought in his pack.  
  
“We’ll only need this for a short while. I promise it’ll make sense.” Jongho lit the match and lit the oil within the lantern to illuminate it, then led Yeosang inside. The elder was always a little quiet, so Jongho felt nothing when Yeosang stayed quiet as he followed him inside._

_The temple was crumbling, full of sand, and in the top part where the main sanctuary was it was difficult to breathe because of the heat and humidity. Statues of gods and goddesses, broken, laid sprawled out on the floor. A torn tapestry hung above the altar, and the words caked in sand engraved on the wall spoke of gods and goddesses who possessed magic over the elements. From what his new father had told him, this was pretty normal for most cultures. They used gods and goddesses to explain what they couldn’t explain. Thought worshipping them would change something._

_Jongho wondered if there were people with magic in the world. Anthina, from what he gathered, had no one who possessed magic. They were a people that worked mechanically, using math and science to figure out the world. His father was the only one interested in learning the past and seeing if there really had ever been magic in the world. Jongho wondered if magic was the real reason he had no memories. What brought him to Anthina._

_“Wow… I had no idea this was all here… your father gives my brother the reports and his findings, I was taught some of our history, but… this is amazing.” Yeosang had broken off from Jongho in favor of letting his fingers gently stroke over some of the broken statues, then up to the writing. He was being careful not to break anything, so Jongho didn’t alert him to stop or he would chip something further. Jongho ignored the feeling in his chest returning when Yeosang turned to look at him. “Sorry. You had something exciting to show me, didn’t you?”_

_“Oh! I did, yes. I promise you’ll like it just as much.” Jongho walked over so the light of the lantern could illuminate the statue Yeosang had been examining, but Yeosang was walking towards him and away from it._

_“I trust you. Lead the way.”_

_Jongho stood there, a little dumbfounded at the closeness, but nodded and moved them past the torn tapestry and towards a back room, completely empty and ransacked, sadly, but that contained a secret door. By pressing a block in the middle of the floor, it triggered a mechanism that pulled away a door on the wall. Yeosang had jumped and gripped onto Jongho’s sleeve. Which made Jongho jump. Which made them both yelp a little, and then stare wide-eyed at one another until they both laughed._

_“Sorry—sorry, my fault, Jongho. I wasn’t expecting something cool like that. Oh, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Did I hurt you?”  
  
“No! No, I’m ok.” Jongho waved him off, thankful for the darkness hiding his blush. “No harm done. I’m sorry for not warning you. Uh, follow me. We have to go downstairs and then make a little trek through some tunnels. But it’s worth it.”_

_Yeosang nodded, running a hand through his hair as Jongho led them down the long, winding, stone staircase below. It felt like they had been walking forever when they reached the bottom. Without the light of the setting sun illuminating them, the darkness was far more consuming down there. Yeosang stuck much closer to Jongho and the lantern. There were no statues, no carvings on the walls. The hallway was narrow and a little scary, but Yeosang kept those feelings quiet. He didn’t want to deter his friend from showing him something that made him happy._

_“When… did you find this place, Jongho? Finding that door alone would have taken me forever.” Yeosang’s fingers skimmed over the stone walls to find that they were actually quite cold. It was easier to breath than it had been upstairs, but he was sure there was much less oxygen in the hallway. Again, kept himself quiet for Jongho’s happiness._

_“Oh, the door wasn’t hard to find. He warned me that the ancients enjoyed making those kinds of mechanisms to hide things. When I saw the indentions of a square, I just pressed it and the door opened. Then I just followed the stairs and did some exploring for a few hours. He keeps telling me to be more careful, but that he’s glad someone likes to explore the way he does.”  
  
Yeosang was quiet for a few moments and Jongho feared that he had done something wrong._

_“… You never refer to him as your father. You could just call him by his name, if you wanted. I know he isn’t your biological dad, though…”_

_The topic was sore, but Jongho nodded._

_“It’s difficult. Imagine waking up alone, walking around in a place you’ve never heard of before. You know absolutely nothing; you don’t even have a name. And you have to realize that isn’t normal. I’m very grateful for him and for you, it’s just… adjusting that’s hard. Actually, he hasn’t told me his name. He told me that it was unusual and that calling him ‘father’ or ‘dad’ was fine. I just indirectly refer to him for now, since I’m not comfortable yet. But I’m sure I will be one day. You and him are the only people I have.”_

_Yeosang wanted to ask about the name, but realized that might be overstepping, and he really didn’t like confrontation. Besides, Jongho was excited about this secret place. So he just nodded and continued following Jongho for a while longer._

_Eventually they reached a small room that had three other doors. One was boarded up entirely, the one to the left, the one straight ahead had no door, and the one to the right had a sort of curtain over it._

_“Here we go. The one straight ahead was just an entryway into some storage rooms. Nothing special, I stopped looking through it after a while. The boarded up one he asked me to wait for him to explore in case there was danger, but this one to our right… this is our stop.” Jongho smiled a small smile back at Yeosang, who silently returned it, and turned back to push through the curtain and beyond._

_Yeosang was not prepared for it._

_Beyond the curtain was… a cool wind in the desert’s heat. Up a small set of block stairs opened up to the most beautiful room Yeosang had ever seen. It was gigantic, the ceiling as tall as two stories on a building, decorated by equally as tall statues of the broken gods on the floor above set between beautiful pillars of marble. In the center of the back wall was a waterfall that fell into a large, shimmering green pool that filled most of the room, whose basin was somewhere below. Yeosang felt it inconsequential and followed Jongho in a little way more until the younger boy pointed towards the ceiling._

_Above them was a skylight opening up to the sky, revealing the myriad of stars above and the full moon. They had to be out beyond the cliffs, surely Yeosang would have seen such a structure in the kingdom before! Yeosang hadn’t even noticed his mouth was hanging open, the stars twinkling in his eyes as he stared upwards._

_But Jongho had noticed._

_“I hope the journey was worth it. I wanted to keep this treasure a secret, but… I wanted to share it with you. You’ve been incredibly kind to me and I’m very thankful. I look up a lot to you, your highness. I wanted this room to be something special for you too. So, I showed you how to get to it whenever you want.”  
  
Jongho spoke quietly, but Yeosang heard every word. How could someone who had been so empty and emotionless be so kind and generous? To want to share such an amazing place with him instead of keeping it secret? Under the light of the full moon, Yeosang smiled the warmest smile he had ever given in his entire life. He held his pinky out towards the younger with confidence._

_“How about we make this our spot, then? You and I, together. This can be our secret place. No one else but us will know about it. We can come here together whenever we want to get away. And you should call me hyung too, you know. You don’t have to call me ‘your highness’ all the time.”  
  
Jongho was surprised. Yeosang wanted this to be their spot? In that moment, Jongho realized he really would… do anything for the prince. To make him happy and confident like he was then. Jongho reached a pinky out and looped it alongside Yeosang’s, a promise made in the light of the full moon, never to be broken._

_“Deal.”_

\---

As he had gotten older, Jongho had realized his feelings of adoration and thankfulness were much more than just that. Somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love with the prince. Deeply, wonderfully in love. And now that they were getting older, he knew he needed to confess to his prince before it became too late.

“Say, your birthday is in a few days, and I know the kingdom and your brother will want to do something… how about we do something tonight?” Jongho handed Yeosang a cup of tea, sitting himself down in his desk chair next to the bed. “You haven’t been to the ruins with me in a while, right? Maybe we can go tonight. There’s a full moon, remember what it looks like from the room with the water chamber? Through the skylight?”

The prince’s eyes lit up as he sipped at the piping hot tea in his hand, looking like he was about to say yes before his eyes fell to the cup as he slowly dropped it to hold in his lap. The conflicted look gave Jongho a little bit of anxiety, but he trusted Yeosang. He knew if he said no, he had a very good reason.

“Yongsun and Jaejin should be… busy later. I might be a little late, but I’m sure I can sneak out. I can meet you here so we can walk over together.” Jongho was aware of Yeosang’s brother Yongsun and his… advisor’s relationship, so his cheeks turned a little pink at the remark. He sipped at his tea before clearing his throat.

“Good. I can go ahead and give you my gift since I’m not sure if I’ll see you on your birthday. It’s nothing big, don’t worry. Something I thought you’d love though.” Jongho smiled, a wide, toothy grin, one he saved for Yeosang and Yeosang only. The elder responded by giving his own smile, but he hid it behind his hand. That only made Jongho fonder, dammit. “I’m sure Yongsun is wondering where you are right now. How about we plan on meeting here whenever you can sneak out and going from there?”

Yeosang finished his tea with a nod, something flickering in his eyes that Jongho just couldn’t place. He tilted his head to ask, but Yeosang had already stood up and pulled the scarf back over his head.

“I’ll see you later then, Jongho?”

“You got it, your highness.”  
  
“Won’t even call me ‘hyung’ on my birthday, huh?”  
  
Jongho grinned. “Not your birthday yet.”

Yeosang smiled fondly, delight reaching his eyes. “Fair enough.”  
  
\---  
  


“Yongsun, are you and Jaejin doing something later?” Yeosang tended to be blunt with his words, but every time he tried to lie or sneak around and be up front about it, he was _incredibly_ obvious. Lying wasn’t something he ever did, he had no reason to, so his lying skills were incredibly subpar. Thank God Yongsun was the king.

Yongsun, a man of darker hair than his younger brother, quirked an eyebrow up at the younger man’s question. Yeosang had caught his brother heading back towards his chambers that evening and had done his best to look like he had just ‘accidentally’ been sitting on the bench outside his older brother’s bedroom. Yongsun knew way better than that. He also knew exactly what Yeosang was getting at.

“I don’t know, are you and Jongho doing something later?” Cue Yeosang’s face turning red, then attempting to sputter something out while Yongsun laughed at him. “ _Yah_ , Sang, you’re so _easy_ to read! You know that I can’t have you out alone at night with him. At least during the day there are a lot more people and guards out, there would be less of a chance of someone harming you without someone noticing. Going out to those ruins so late at night, Yeosang…”  
  
The younger prince nodded where he sat, knowing that it was useless to fight his brother. Yeosang wasn’t a fan of confrontation anyways.

Actually, Yeosang had once been the picture-perfect prince. He always studied, he played multiple instruments, he was kind, gentle, and caring to those around him. He was quiet, but considerate. It was only when Jongho arrived years before that Yeosang had been pulled from his shell. Jongho, someone who had nothing to give, yet filled Yeosang up with the happiest memories he’d ever experienced in his life. No offense to his brother and Jaejin. Jongho was just… special. Jongho meant the entire world to him. Jongho _was_ his entire world.

Yongsun must have sensed his younger brother’s brooding, as he sighed, letting his shoulders slump, and walked over to sit on the bench alongside his brother.

“Fine, Yeosang. If you aren’t back in a few hours I’m sending the entire guard up there if I have to. I mean it. Jaejin will lead the charge himself.” Jaejin was smaller than Yongsun, younger, a man of green eyes and brown hair, whose freckled cheeks Yeosang knew all too well his brother daydreamed about. Disgusting. But Jaejin was like another brother to Yeosang, so he ignored the gross knowledge that they were absolutely together. Instead, Yeosang focused his energy into hugging his brother as tight as he could for a few seconds before jumping up and running down the hall towards his own room.

“Thank you, Yongsun! I’ll be back soon, promise!”

Yongsun knew he had to trust Yeosang, but man, he had a sneaking suspicion he’d been gone a lot more than a few hours.

\---

Yeosang had quite literally ran until he was at Jongho’s house, before his brother could possibly change his mind. Yeosang had been met by Jongho, carrying his lantern, and a small pack of supplies they might need just in case. It had been ages since they had time together. Just the two of them for hours—not just Yeosang meeting Jongho after his lessons and getting to walk Jongho home from the ruins. Getting older was terrible, but he knew that they would work it out. They always did.

The walk up the temple’s steps and through the broken statues was so familiar, even if it had been ages since his last trip inside. He had mentally mapped out his favorite statues (the one of the female deity holding a bowl fallen by the altar and the male who was a little hard to make out, but had been holding a books next to the far wall when you walked in), the way the marble floors still shined when the light from outside came in, but there was much less sand piled up—Jongho was to thank for that. When Yeosang had complained about it, he had quietly cleaned it up to show him.

Yeosang and Jongho talked as always on their way down. It was normal, a normal affair, it made Yeosang happy and Jongho seemed just as happy to him. But there was something in the air, something Yeosang just couldn’t quite make out. He was unsure, but it was… a buzzing. A thrumming in the air. He was unsure if Jongho had felt it or not, given that his companion hadn’t said anything about it. But he was… somewhat concerned.

“… Yeosang? Are you listening?”

He hadn’t even noticed they had made it to the door until Jongho brought him out of his head. “Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking—wait. Jongho? Had that board always been on the ground?”  
  
Jongho turned his head to see yes, in fact, there was one of the boards from the boarded-up room laying on the ground. He and Yeosang gave one another a look before Yeosang watched Jongho walk over to the door, kneeling so he could examine the wood. He followed slowly behind him, careful to not disturb anything. Just in case.

“Dad and I never got to… go in this room… I would say it just finally rotted away, but the wood isn’t rotted. Old, but it should have stayed up. Odd.” Jongho’s strong fingers stroked over the broken beam, and Yeosang could tell he was going through scenarios in his head before standing back up again. “I’ll look into it later. I might need your brother’s permission to go in there. Might want me to have a guard or two with me.”

Yeosang nodded and stepped back when Jongho stood back up and grabbed his lantern. “I’ll mention it to him when I get back. If he’s still up.”

Jongho gave a small smile, that strong hand so gentle as it rested on Yeosang’s shoulder. “C’mon. No need to let a little broken panel ruin our early birthday fun.” Jongho didn’t see it as he walked off, but the fondest smile washed over Yeosang as he followed him up the small stone staircase into their secret room.

“Have you come without me since last time?” Yeosang walked to the edge of the pool and sat down, fingers working to unlace his sandals and roll his loose pants up so he could dip his feet into the cold water of the pool. Jongho followed suit, as he always did with his prince. His boots came off, his pants rolled up, and he sat himself down next to the boy.

“Couple times. Gets lonely without you sometimes, hyung.” His words were so gentle, sweet, that they would have perhaps been cheesy had he not used the honorific. Yeosang turned his head sharp at him, eyes shimmering like the pool below them.

“You called me ‘ _hyung’_ finally!”

“Didn’t, actually.”

“Yes, you did!”  
  
“Can you prove it?”  
  
Yeosang scoffed a laugh, Jongho’s favorite, deep little laugh, and nudged his elbow into the younger’s side. “You’re impossible. I don’t know why I keep you around.”  
  
“Maybe you love me a little bit?” Jongho didn’t look at Yeosang while he said it, probably because his cheeks were too quickly turning red. Yeosang hummed, as though contemplating making a joke. But the joke never came. Instead, the prince looked up towards the skylight and the full moon, deciding maybe now wasn’t the time to joke around too much. Not when the mood was good.

“Maybe a little bit.”

Yeosang’s heart was pounding—but he wasn’t blushing. Odd. Usually Jongho made it easy to blush, but… it was that _thrumming_. Something was in the air and it was beginning to actually mess with him. He couldn’t even focus on his own words it was beginning to feel like something was buzzing in his veins. Jongho still seemed unaffected, somehow.  
  
“… Yeosang-hyung. Can I tell you something?” Oh, the soft words and sweet name absolutely got Yeosang’s attention. Yeosang gave a nod, but also uttered a quiet ‘sure’ under his breath. Jongho had his hands folded tight in his lap, and he was beginning to worry. Jongho never called him that. Was never so strangely serious and yet… soft with him.

“… I’ve done… I’ve done a lot of thinking, y’know. I don’t have any memories of my life before. It used to bother me a lot. But you… you gave me memories that I know are better than probably any other memory I had before.” Jongho ran a hand through his hair and Yeosang felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

“Jongho...”  
  
“No, no it’s okay. I just… I really like you, hyung. I think I always have. I know it isn’t appropriate for me to like the prince, but I can’t keep it away from you. I’m sorry, I know that I haven’t been very forward with me emotions—”  
  
“Jongho, I feel weird.”  
  
“I’m sorry, please, don’t feel like you have to feel the same—”  
  
“No, Jongho, _I like you_ _too_ , but I feel _really weird_.”  
  
Jongho finally turned about the time Yeosang’s body had started to shake. The older of the two pulled his legs from the water as his entire body began shaking. Jongho looked horrified, and the buzzing in the air began to get louder in his ears. Shaky hands moved up to cover his ears, stumbling as he backed away from where Jongho had also stood up.

His limbs felt like they were being torn apart. The buzzing screamed in his ears, his veins felt like they were on fire, and his heart—oh, his heart was threatening to rip from his very chest. It felt like he was dying. Was he dying? He finally got to confess to Jongho, finally got the chance to speak his feelings, but he starting to see black dots in his vision and the world was swimming around him. He squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt to try and center himself to calm down, but he couldn’t, he couldn’t _think_ through the pain he was in.

Yeosang remembered screaming, a bloodcurdling scream that echoed the pain his body was in, as his nails dug into his scalp.

And then he blacked out.

\---

Everything happened too fast.

Jongho had _kinda_ confessed, and Yeosang had _kinda_ responded that he felt the same, but something weird was happening. Yeosang’s body looked… it looked almost like it was evaporating. His limbs was shaking, almost like they were vibrating, and the prince’s beautiful radiant glow was gone and replaced by this sickly pale color.

Yeosang was covering his ears and backing away, and right as Jongho hurried forward to try and hold his beloved prince, Yeosang screamed.

And the butterflies burst out.

Hundreds of beautiful, ethereal blue butterflies had burst from the prince’s body in a flash of light, lifting Yeosang into the air with them as they continued to swarm the air. The room was filled with the brightest white light Jongho had ever seen, and he tried to hide his eyes behind his raised arms, but he knew he had to help Yeosang. The prince had gone limp and quiet, but it was _his Yeosang_. He had to try and help him.

Jongho pushed forward, eyes squinted as small as he could without completely losing the ability to see, and forced himself against the wind of the butterflies to reach a hand up to try and grab onto Yeosang’s ankle. But his hand—his hand phased through Yeosang as though the prince wasn’t even there.  
  
“Yeosang-hyung! _Yeosang_!”

Jongho felt like he was crying out in vain, still trying to jump and grip onto whatever part he possibly could, but his hand continued to drift through his prince. Like a ghost, like the wind itself. The butterflies had begun hitting him as they circled the pair, nearly knocking him over, their wings mixed with the sharp wind leaving small slash marks along his arms.

Suddenly, the butterflies began to fly towards the skylight in the room, but the light around Yeosang was somehow increasing in its intensity. Jongho was forced down onto one knee by the wind, arms covering his eyes as he screamed for his prince. The room was filled suddenly with a low thrumming, and Jongho could somehow feel the light around Yeosang begin to encompass him as well.

All went white, and then there was nothing.

\---

… grass. The first thing Jongho felt when the thrumming stopped was grass under his feet and the drizzle of rain on his skin. Where the hell _was_ he?

His eyes slowly opened, fearing the light still, just to see that he was absolutely nowhere near Anthina any longer. He was sitting in the grass out front of what looked to be a shop of some sort. He could hear windchimes slowly playing in the wind, but then he noticed Yeosang laying in front of him about two feet away.

“Hyung!” Jongho scrambled, on his knees, to crawl over and pull his limp prince into his arms. Yeosang was still pale, but he had no injuries on his body from what Jongho could see. His thumb stroked over the boy’s cheek. He hunched himself over to shield Yeosang from the rain and was just about to pick him up entirely and move under the shop’s roof when he heard something behind him.

Jongho turned just in time to see two dark… rips open in the air. One produced a man wearing a tied red robe, wearing white pants, and black boots. His hair was a darker blonde than Yeosang’s but was shorter in the front than it was in the back. He was small, but he looked _angry_. The kind of man that just radiated strength. He stormed out of the rip, near growling, and gave Jongho a dirty look.

“Who the hell are _you_?” A higher pitched voice than he expected, but it was as sharp as the man’s features.  
  
Jongho, still very much in shock from watching _butterflies_ burst out of his prince, barely moved his lips as if to say something that wouldn’t come out. But then the next man walked out.

This one was a lot nicer looking in terms of mood. Taller than the other, he was slim, and dressed entirely in black. His cloak was adorned with… golden runes. Jongho recognized the runes. The guy must have been a mage of some sort. But Jongho thought those people were _fairytale_ figures. Even his boots were adorned with the same swirling, golden patterns. His hair was black, but his eyes were a bright blue. Jongho had heard once that some types of magic possessing people got their magic from their eyes. Jongho should have been more elated to see a magical person, a true magic user, but circumstances were a little different.

“The boy is obviously having a bad day, don’t you think you could have a little more compassion for him?” A softer voice, but commanding. Low, but assertive. Kinder. As the man turned, Jongho noticed the most beautiful staff in his hands. White gold, jewels floating above it, little ornaments hanging off of the spindles at the top, images of birds—oh, yes, Jongho wished Yeosang could see this man.

“And who do you think you are, huh? Think he’s the only one having a bad time? Anyone wanna tell me where the hell this even _is_?” The shorter man huffed and gripped at a sword Jongho hadn’t immediately noticed hanging on his side.

“Uh.”

All three of their heads turned to see a boy with red and black streaked hair standing on the porch, wearing some strange outfit Jongho had never seen before in his life. His pants were some material Jongho had never seen, some blue color, that had rips in them. His sweater was quite large on his frame and matched his hair, actually. He was standing under the porch of the shop. He must have opened the door and come out when he heard the commotion.

“Wooyoung? Wooyoung, I think you have company!” The boy yelled back into the open door, and not a moment later another boy came out. They both looked like they were about his and Yeosang’s ages, actually. This new guy was something, though. Jongho took just a moment to look back at the other two to see if they knew what was going on, but the angry one was still just angry, and the smile had faded from the man in white’s face.

He had tanned skin much like Jongho, but his hair was a beautiful silvery purple. He wore tight black pants and a silky purple shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, but also unbuttoned down to his stomach to reveal not just his chest, but the necklaces on his neck. They were silver to match the rings Jongho saw on his fingers, and the bracelets on his wrists. He looked like some sort of… god to Jongho. Like a king. No one wore that much jewelry unless they really were somebody.  
  
“Thank you, San. Sorry! Man, you’d think for a person like me I would’ve had an easier time getting ready in time for you guys to get here. Sorry for the delay, I sent San out to make sure it was you guys—”  
  
“Will you cut to the chase? Look, I didn’t ask to come here. I was forced to come here. And I would really like to know where the hell _this_ is.” Jongho was starting to feel a little bad for the angry guy. Because though he seemed angry, he could tell there was something distraught in his tone. Like he really had been forced to wherever the hell they were. Jongho kinda nodded to let the guy know he was wondering too where they were. He held Yeosang closer to him, cradling the elder’s head against his chest. Yeosang was breathing, but he still wasn’t waking up.

“Oh, we’re gonna _yell_ at me now.” San, Jongho assumed his name was, snickered next to the guy. He was rewarded with Wooyoung rolling his eyes and shoving his shoulder, which made San laugh. Jongho… was very confused. They were just in their own little world for a bit, it seemed.

“Be nice, Woo. Don’t pout. I’ll go ahead and make some tea, ‘kay? You know more about this than I do anyways.” San nudged Wooyoung’s shoulder with his own, making the other grin before walking off.

“Okay!” Wooyoung clapped his hands together, still grinning, and looked out to the visitors in front of him. “I’ve been expecting all of you for some time now. How about you come in out of the rain, huh? Can’t imagine standing out there in the rain is fun. San is making tea; I can get some clothes for you too.”

The boy gestured down to where Jongho was cradling Yeosang. He nodded slowly, and easily stood up with his prince still held in his arms. As he did that, the one who was dressed in all black walked up beside him, still looking straight forward towards Wooyoung. Meanwhile, the angrier guy sort of sighed and walked up next to Jongho with his arms crossed. Definitely shorter than him, but not by very much.  
  
Wooyoung stepped back, pleased to see them all coming forward, held his arms out to the side to welcome them, and gestured towards the door.

“Welcome. To the Trans-Dimensional Tea Shop.”


	2. Trans-Dimensional Tea Shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 2! Thank you for reading! 
> 
> As per last time, notes at the end!

~xXx~

Hongjoong was incredibly out of his element. The guy, Wooyoung, had at least brought them in and given them clothes to change into that weren’t wet. He didn’t try to hide his skepticism when he was handed an all-black outfit that he had, of course, thought about often when he was standing guard for Yunho. Black sleeveless shirt, black pants, his boots, and a deep red cloak to go over his shoulders that pinned on his right shoulder. Wooyoung just grinned at him and moved on when Hongjoong raised an eyebrow at him. Whatever. Today was incredibly weird and didn’t seem like it’d be changing soon.

Speaking of weird, the _mage_ had been quiet since they came into the tea shop. Wooyoung handed that guy only a white shirt that looked like it had a high neck and blue trim that matched the weird color of his eyes. Guy disappeared to change before Hongjoong could get a good look. Hongjoong was quiet, sure, but he was an open guy when you spoke to him. He could sense how closed off the mage was and something about him _bothered_ Hongjoong to his very core.

The kids were fine. The boy had allowed San to hold his friend while he quickly changed into a large black shirt and some green pants decorated with pockets on the side. He’d been first to change, so he could get back to the other boy apparently and was the one who helped change the unconscious one into some flowy cream shirt and pants. Hongjoong eyed them out of the corner of his eye before he was the next one to use the other room to change.

“Fine, we’re all dry and we’re all happy again. You gonna sit us down and finally explain, and I mean in _detail_ , what’s going on?” Hongjoong ran a hand through his still damp hair, dropping his wet clothes into a basket by the door before slipping slippers left for him on and walking into this big, main room the shop had up front.

It had chimes, tatami mats, and he was pretty sure there was incense burning somewhere. The boy who was awake was sitting down on a futon against the wall, the other still resting in his arms. Wooyoung, San, and the weird mage were all sitting around a rather large, circular table positioned low to the ground. Hongjoong moved to sit down opposite to Wooyoung on one of the cushions, with the mage on his left.

“Man, you really are impatient, huh? Yunho was right, you can be a handful.” At the sound of his prince’s name, Hongjoong shot his head up to look the younger-looking man in the eye.

  
  
“Prince Yunho? You spoke to him? What did he say, did he explain why I—” Wooyoung literally rolled his eyes and _clapped_ to make Hongjoong be quiet. But, of course, that didn’t stop him. “Seriously? I’m not a _dog_.”

“No, but you _are_ loud. If you’ll let me explain everything, I’ll let you know everything that I can. You have to understand that Yunho isn’t the only person who isn’t here who is involved. What has begun is an entire network of… ok, fine, I’ll do my best to start from the beginning.”

  
  
Wooyoung took a sip of the tea that San had given him, and Hongjoong noticed something like worry in his expression. His face had sagged a little, something someone as keenly trained as Hongjoong would notice in a second. Oddly, there was something reassuring about the look. Reminded him this guy wasn’t some benevolent teashop owner.

“You’re in a tea shop, physically, yes, but this very shop is sort of a midway point for inter-dimensional travel. Normal humans are not the ones who use this shop for that, though. This shop also works as a sort of ‘wish granting’ shop. Those who need it most are those who can see it. Once the wish is granted, the shop remains invisible to them. I may grant wishes to anyone who needs something so long as they have proper payment. That’s how my magic works. Oh! Here’s an activity: why don’t you guys all tell me what your wishes are, and I’ll tell you how this is gonna go!”

  
  
Hongjoong rolled his eyes, placing his own teacup down where he had been mindlessly sipping on it. “I want to go home. I want to be back in my place by Mingi at Prince Yunho’s side. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”

“Of course. And you?” Wooyoung gestured to the mage, who had his hands encircling his cup.

“… I wish to never go home. Whatever that cost may be.” Hongjoong shot the guy a look, but he was only looking dead on at Wooyoung, who seemed completely unphased by it all. The guy had a lower, serious voice, but he didn’t seem threatening. Just _off_.

“Polar opposites, love it—you, kiddo?” Wooyoung turned to where the kid was sitting on the futon, head perking up when he was called.

  
  
“Oh—it’s him. Prince Yeosang. He’s my wish.” The boy gestured to his sleeping companion, his fingers gently stroking the other’s golden hair. “I have… no idea what happened to him. I can’t really even explain what I saw happen to him. But I know I’d give my life to make sure that he makes it through this and never remembers what happened.”

Hongjoong could tell the kid was holding back a lot. But he could tell the kid was devoted to his prince, which was something Hongjoong could at least relate to him about. But he had a feeling the kid’s emotions were more romantic than his own towards Yunho were.

Wooyoung gave him a soft smile, something knowing, and nodded his head before turning back to face the others. San had been quiet the entire time, his knees pulled to his chest as he watched Wooyoung working.

“So! As I mentioned before that I grant wishes here. Seonghwa, I assume you know exactly what’s going on?”

  
  
The mage nodded his head. So, Seonghwa knew what was going on? Was he in on whatever was happening to them?

“Great! Makes my job easier. Anyways, wishes. If someone wishes for something that is too great of a price, I can’t grant it. However, if multiple people help to get this wish granted, the price can be paid. The biggest price in this room is going to have to be paid by Jongho.” Wooyoung looked back to the kids, who seemed to be going through a couple emotions. Hongjoong could detect when he went through denial, and then acceptance.

“Okay. Yeah, okay—am I going to have to give my life like I said? It’s fine, I said I’d—”

  
  
“No! No, no, Jongho. Yeosang isn’t _dead_ , he’s still breathing! This isn’t an ‘eye for an eye’ kind of thing.” Wooyoung laughed and waved his hands, then turned back with a grin to the others.

“Prince Yeosang has lost all of his memories. Yeosang’s memories were scattered, as butterflies, across many worlds in many universes. If Yeosang doesn’t get his memories back… he’ll disappear. And no one’s wish will be able to come true. He’s lost part of his soul. Therefore, he’ll deteriorate without them.”

  
  
Butterflies? Just what the hell happened to that kid? Hongjoong hadn’t noticed any marks or blood on Yeosang, Jongho had a few on his arms, but that was it.

“… What’s my price, Wooyoung? What do I have to do to get Yeosang’s memories back?” Jongho’s voice was steady as a rock, but soft. He was serious. He would do anything for the prince. Yeah, Hongjoong understood that.

“Jongho, your price to get Yeosang’s memories back has two parts to it, given how large this wish is. First, you must go on a journey through different worlds in different universes in order to collect the butterflies that contain Yeosang’s memories and in doing so, create a map of these universes.”

  
  
“Okay, that’ll take a while, but isn’t too bad. What’s the second part?”

  
“Second, you must give up every memory Yeosang has of you.” Wooyoung sat himself up a little straighter. “That is your price.”

\---

Yeosang wasn’t going to remember him. But Yeosang was going to die if he didn’t accept the price.

Jongho looked down at the sleeping boy in his arms. Yeosang looked like an angel when he was asleep. Jongho let his thumb brush over the boy’s pale cheek, feeling the soft puffs of breath that left Yeosang’s lips on his hand, knowing that the answer had been decided long before he arrived at the shop. He would give anything to help Yeosang. His hyung, his prince, and the love of his life.

Yeosang’s soul was in danger. Those butterflies had been his memories, and Yeosang had tried telling him he felt weird, tried telling him something was _off_ , but he’d been so caught up in his feelings and confessing that he ignored it. Had he turned them around when they had both been uneasy about that stupid broken door, maybe whatever ancient curse that had hurt Yeosang wouldn’t have happened.

  
  
“Okay. A journey and his memories of me. If that’s all it takes, I’m ready to start whenever.”

  
  
And such an important moment was immediately ruined by the sound of someone loudly whistling in the room. Every single head turned, and every eye looked over to see San sitting with his arms folded on his knees and his chin perched on his arms. He must not have been aware that he had whistled out loud considering his cheeks turned almost as the red streaks in his hair.

  
  
“Sorry! He just—he really accepted a price that serious and didn’t need a minute to even think about it!” San waved his hands in front of him, sort of frantic as he attempted to explain himself. Seonghwa looked over and back to Jongho, while Hongjoong rolled his eyes for perhaps the hundredth time while San’s mouth was hanging open.

“Because he’s in _love_ with his prince, of course he didn’t need to think about it. He literally said he would give his life up for Yeosang! You think a journey and some memory loss is a lot for him?”

  
San considered this, his mouth slowly shutting as he nodded his head, which turned to look at Wooyoung. “Damn, that _is_ pretty romantic. Did you plan that?”

Wooyoung snorted a laugh and shoved at San’s shoulder, which unfurled the boy from his folded-up position. “You know that’s not how any of this works. Don’t be an idiot.”

“Actually… _can_ you explain how all of this works to me? I’m pretty inclined to believe you’re a wish-granting trans-dimensional witch considering I have no explanation for what got me here or what happened to Yeosang in the temple, but Yeosang and I don’t come from a world where magic is… real? I used to excavate old ruins in Anthina and learned about former gods that had magic, but… Wooyoung, you’re kinda _real_.”

Jongho shrugged his shoulders, pretty serious about the matter, but also wanted to get away from the topic of him being in love with Yeosang. His cheeks were red enough.

“Sure, I can try. Remember how I said that for wishes, I need compensation? Something of equal value?” Jongho nodded. “That’s how wish granting magic works. There’s power and magic within those items and events that help to grant the wish. That power just needs to be weaved and strategically formulated in order to grant the wish. That’s where I come in. I take the magic and I help sort of… funnel it where it needs to go in the universes using my own magic so that the wish can make sense and be granted. If the wish doesn’t make sense, it can cause rifts and tears in the universes. It takes people skilled in this sort of magic like me to do it.”

  
  
Wooyoung gestured over to Seonghwa, who was silently nodding along. “Seonghwa is skilled with magic, but he isn’t in the same fields as I am. Mine is more of a dimensional sort of magic, his is more skilled for combat and worldly matters. It would be like asking a woodcarver to make you a sword. You’ll get something, but it’ll be wrong and not what you’re looking for. Doesn’t mean the woodcarver isn’t skilled. Just skilled in something similar, yet completely different.”

Jongho nodded along. It made sense. “So, if what is offered doesn’t have enough magic or power in it, you can’t grant the wish? Because your magic just weaves the magic in the offerings? And you said my price is too big to pay? That I might need help paying it?”

  
  
Wooyoung… slow clapped. San joined him. Hongjoong put his head on the table. Seonghwa continued stewing in his thoughts.

“I like you. You’re smart. Yes! They journey is far too much for one person alone. However, your companions are both looking for something that requires journeying through worlds. If they were to agree to accompany you on this journey, all of the wishes can be fulfilled. You have enough to pay your price, Seonghwa will never have to return to his home, and Hongjoong can find his again by travelling around.”

  
  
“Is that all we have to pay for our wishes? Going with Jongho on his?” Hongjoong perked up a little more again at that. But Wooyoung shook his head.

“Hongjoong, _your_ price was mostly paid by Yunho. Yunho’s wish was to have you go on a journey that would teach you to, how did he put it, _not_ fight everyone you meet.” San covered his mouth so not to make another inappropriate noise.

“Yunho paid that by sending you here. He requested I keep the rest of the payment a secret. But the journey is the answer to his wish, and your wish is to go home. The rest of your payment is the uniform you have in my hamper right now. Your very title, your job, what you’ve known all your life. You must give it up to find your way back to it.”

  
  
Jongho watched as Hongjoong looked like he wanted to riot again but didn’t want to go against his prince’s wish. Apparently, Yunho cared quite a bit about Hongjoong if he’d literally send him away for who knew how long just to try and help him be happy.

“Fine. I’ll give you the damn uniform and go on Jongho’s journey for Yeosang’s memories. As long as you can guarantee that I make it back.” Wooyoung nodded enthusiastically at Hongjoong to answer his question.

It was Jongho who was staring now at the elusive mage in white. Jongho wasn’t quite sure what to make of Seonghwa yet. He was poised, quiet, but wasn’t entirely threatening. He seemed to understand what was going on, which made sense considering he was a magic user that had clearly been the one to send himself there. He was the only one who hadn’t been confused outside.

Jongho couldn’t get over his eyes. There was something about the blue that seemed odd with his features. Wooyoung had magic too, but his eyes were more of a honey gold. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they had different types of magic like Wooyoung had said. Jongho really, really wished that Yeosang could have been awake for this. They had always talked about what magic users might be like. Now they had two right in front of them and Yeosang… god, Jongho felt like this was all his fault.

When he pulled himself out of his own head, he blinked a couple of times to see- oh, oh no. He had been staring at Seonghwa the entire time. And Seonghwa was staring back at him. He let out a surprised little sound, altering Wooyoung away from Hongjoong, who had been bickering at Wooyoung to tell him Yunho’s payment.

“Sorry! Sorry, Seonghwa, I was just thinking about all of this. And I was wondering if you were going to join Hongjoong and I? I’d understand if you didn’t, I can come up with something extra to pay with.”

  
Seonghwa shook his head, one of those fake smiles pulling at the corners of his lips, and held his hand up. “No, of course I’m going. Wooyoung has known the entire time that I was going.”

  
  
Wooyoung gave a thumbs up. “Is the payment going to be the same? What you had told me before?”

  
  
Seonghwa nodded his head and reached to unhook the cloak he had been given when he changed earlier.

“The very same.”

  
  
\---

Seonghwa was, of course, exactly in his element.

Seonghwa had merely been sipping his tea and politely watching everyone around him bicker and attempt to understand what he had been taught his entire life. Magic users lived for hundreds to thousands of years. Seonghwa had already been alive for lifetimes before Hongjoong or Jongho and he was still relatively young for most mages. But in his short time as a mage, Seonghwa had soaked up every form of magic he could. Even if he couldn’t perform the magic, he could at least be knowledgeable in it.

Perhaps he should have helped Wooyoung in attempting to explain to everyone else what this magic stuff was about. Maybe offered a joke here and there. But that would require getting too close and too attached. No one needed that from him.

Seonghwa had a mission to fulfill. A purpose. He was the one who brought himself here. But he still didn’t know what that mission was. He knew his purpose was to accompany a prince on a very long and hard journey. His life in Hiemis had been alright, it truly had. For the most part.

When the murders began, Seonghwa had slowly felt the end creeping up more and more on him. Seonghwa had expected for it to be some evil figure, perhaps the very one who told him of the journey, to be behind everything. There was no fear like the fear of waking up and wondering if, when you walked through the palace you had called home, or attempted to walk the streets to greet people, if you would be met by the stench of rotting flesh and see the splatters of one’s blood strewn about the area.

The murders in Hiemis had started slow. Occasional. Something that was amiss, but a crime to be uncovered as any other crime was. They had begun to pick up. Suddenly it wasn’t one a month, it was two, then suddenly every week more and more bodies began to appear. Seonghwa had never felt so helpless—he wasn’t a king, nor a prince, he was simply the head mage of the kingdom. People would ask him for help, but what could he possibly do? No one had been able to catch the murderer.

Until he did.

Seonghwa unlatched the cloak from his shoulders and let it drop the short distance to the floor below. Hongjoong was eyeing him rather uncomfortably, but he ignored it. Long fingers began to slowly unbutton the gold buttons of the white shirt Wooyoung had given him. He liked it, for the most part. The blue designs on the collar, wrists, and around the buttons was nice. Had a magical feeling without being too noticeable.

With the shirt completely unbuttoned, Seonghwa folded it in half and laid it on the ground before both he and Wooyoung stood. Seonghwa wasn’t as muscular as his companions, but he had a lean muscular form. Defined, but not overly so. He’d have to be strong to do combat magic and wield such a heavy staff. Hongjoong was still staring holes into him he was watching so hard, but Jongho had mostly averted his eyes out of politeness.

However, everyone looked when Seonghwa turned around.

On Seonghwa back was a large, detailed tattoo of a phoenix. It looked more like a swirling ruin that it did a bird, but the resemblance was there enough to make out the bird. The phoenix’s wings wrapped over Seonghwa’s shoulders and down his arms, its body making up the top half of his back while the tail disappear down the man’s lower back and possibly down onto one of his legs. It was… magical, which, perhaps, was the only way to describe such a design. The tattoo’s lines flowed like magic around the mage’s skin, matching the inky black of the mage’s hair. It was beautiful. But it looked like it pained the mage.

The entire room had gone silent again. Even San, who was still sitting with his arms tight around his legs, stared up in awe quietly.

“Seonghwa, I know we discussed this before, but are you positive that this is the payment you want to make?” Wooyoung spoke so quietly that Hongjoong had actually leaned forward to try and listen. Seonghwa shot him a look. It was none of his business what they discussed.

“Yes. There’s nothing else I wish to use as payment than what we’ve discussed.” Seonghwa was firm in that. While there was a feeling in the air of the room, all wondering what there possibly was that Seonghwa could have used otherwise, they remained quiet as Wooyoung nodded and stepped back again.

With Seonghwa standing, back turned to the rest, Wooyoung raised one of his ring decorated hands, his bracelets beginning to jingle on his wrist as a a mysterious breeze began to encircle him. Wooyoung’s eyes had become more serious than they had been the entire time the group was in his tea shop, the shop owner finally revealing even the slightest portion of the magic he possessed.

From Wooyoung’s hand opened a small, dark purple portal. The small portal began to glow a strange, brighter purple, and began to twist in Wooyoung’s hand as smoke began to pour from within it towards the mage’s back. While the room had grown colder in temperature, everyone colding their breaths, Seonghwa hadn’t moved an inch or uttered a word.

Seonghwa had been preparing for this for quite some time.

\---

_“I don’t… I don’t understand. Why do I have to have a seal? I thought my lessons were going well, King Hyungsik.”_

_A very, very young Seonghwa, perhaps looking no older than 8, stood at the foot of Hyungsik’s throne with his too large staff in his little hand. Since the older king had taken him in, Hyungsik had paid extra attention to making sure Seonghwa grew to become a fantastic mage._

_Hiemis was an entire world made of magic. Not all possessed the same abilities, some none at all, and skill wavered from person to person… but the world was alive with magic. It filled the air and thrummed around everyone peacefully, the advances in their technology and magical prowess had only gotten better with each passing year. No wars had broken out with any neighboring worlds either. It had been nice. A quiet place for Seonghwa to learn magic._

_The king gave a soft smile, dark eyes carefully watching the boy. Seonghwa was still scared around Hyungsik, even after the years and years he had been under the king’s tutelage, and when he caught sight of the king staring at him so intensely, he snapped his head down to the marble floors._

_Hyungsik only gave a deep chuckle and sat himself up straighter on the throne, his head shaking carefully, slowly, so not to disturb the crown of blue crystals atop his crown. The same crystals that decorated Seonghwa’s staff and the staff of the king himself. Hemimorphite, he had been told. A light blue crystal that the world was comprised of, all polished and sharpened to resemble the ice crystals of the cold world._

_“Your lessons have been going well, yes. Seonghwa, I am not trying to say that your magic is lacking. Quite the opposite. You’ve excelled in whatever I’ve thrown at you thus far, but with that comes problems.” The king stood from the throne and began making his descent down to where Seonghwa still stood with his head down._

_Hyungsik was terrifying to look at. Maybe it was just Seonghwa who felt that way, but it was true. The king was tall, larger than life in his height, and wore the most beautifully decorated robes that Seonghwa had ever seen. Robes of deep blue with golden details of birds and wildflowers, details hardly seen in Hiemis’ cold environment, lined with black fur on the collar, sleeves, and the bottom of the robe. They were always long, too, a train of deep blue velvet and fur always trailing behind the king when he walked._

_Hyungsik also had long, deep black hair that reached the middle of his back, as well as a long beard that reached his chest. There was a scar over the man’s left eye that had left him blind, but Seonghwa never asked about it._

_Little Seonghwa could hear the king’s boots clacking against the marble floors as he made his way down to the boy below. Hyungsik had not brought his staff down with him, at least. That eased Seonghwa’s mind a little bit more._

_“Young mage, the issue with not placing a seal on you is the kind of magic that you possess. Your ability to memorize and recall spells and categories of magic, even the subcategories, for someone as young as you is exceptional. But tell me, when you were trained in transmutation by the groundskeeper, tell me what happened when you tried to make a wreath of flowers.”  
  
Seonghwa felt white-hot shame fill his veins. He remembered all too well what that day had been like. He would never forget the look on the groundskeeper’s face._

_“I… I um… I killed them, King Hyungsik.” Seonghwa’s voice grew quieter as he confessed his sins, but Hyungsik shook his head._

_“No, little Seonghwa, you did not merely kill them. You petrified them. It is not as though you killed them, you turned the flowers into petrified stones. They crystalized after that, yes?” Seonghwa nodded. “You must understand, Seonghwa, we’ve never had anyone like you in Hiemis before. The magic here is light, useful, it’s what has allowed us to live abundantly and peacefully for thousands of years.”  
  
The king knelt down in front of the boy, onto one of his knees, in an attempt to get the boy to look him in the eye. “Seonghwa, how about you tell me about what happened when we attempted to teach you music. Remember? The conductor for the orchestra and I gave you a flute to play. What happened when you began playing?”_

_Seonghwa felt hot tears begin to prickle at his eyes. He kept his head down, not wishing for the king to see him in such a state. He was a boy trying to grow up too quickly—someone who wished for his own wish to be granted sooner than later. He didn’t know why he needed to go through this._

_“I… I destroyed the sitting room I practiced in, King Hyungsik.”  
  
“Well, yes.” Another chuckle from the king. “You created a defensive barrier using the notes, Seonghwa. I’ve been alive for thousands of years and the only time I’ve seen magic like yours has been on the battlefield. No one here is capable of such things any longer, not for a very, very long time. It scares people, Seonghwa. And it worries me.”_

_Seonghwa finally looked up at the king, his cheeks splotchy and wet. “Are you placing a seal over me so I can’t use my magic again? Because I’ll hurt people?”_

_  
  
“No, Seonghwa. The seal is not to stop your magic. The seal will act as a cap for your magic. It will allow you to reach a certain point, but nothing past that. It’s for your own good, Seonghwa. You know that I’m just trying to protect you and Hiemis, don’t you? What if you accidentally hurt yourself? If I hadn’t been there to help when you destroyed the sitting room, you would have been crushed. What if something happens when I send you out on deliveries?”_

_No, Seonghwa understood. He understood that the king was only doing what he thought was best for them all. A king had to be fearless and a king had to do what was right no matter what. Even if maybe he didn’t want to put such a powerful thing on him, he had hundreds of thousands of other people he needed to think about. Seonghwa was a danger to them._

_The younger boy gripped onto his staff, his eyes falling again as he nodded his little head. He would let the man seal him._

_Hyungsik nodded in return and stood once more, returning himself to his throne, and picked up the large, golden staff at his side. Seonghwa knew what he needed to do._

_The boy placed his staff onto the cold floor, let his shaking hands undo the thick coat and shirt he wore, and turned with his back towards the king. His entire frame was shaking. He was terrified—to be sealed, to have such a thing burdening him for the rest of his life. His eyes squeezed shut and his hands clutched together against his chest as he heard the king’s staff move behind him._

_The magic itself did not hurt. The king raised his staff and pointed it directly at Seonghwa’s back, the bright magic focused and channeled through the main large crystal in its center, and he began to draw the seal on the boy’s back. The magic would feel warm against the boy’s skin, uncomfortably so, but it wouldn’t burn. It would be afterwards, when the seal slowly began to creep into every part of the boy’s body, that the discomfort would come. But it would take some time to get through him._

_Hyungsik decided on a phoenix for Seonghwa’s seal. He hoped, deep down, one day Seonghwa would come to resemble the bird. Fierce and powerful, but always with the ability to rise from the ashes. Only time would tell what would become of it._

_“There.” The king pulled his staff back and placed it back on its stand beside his throne, gaze hard as he watched the boy slowly pull his shirt and his coat back on. “I told you, Seonghwa, it’s alright to have a seal. Sometimes it’s just what’s best.”_

_Seonghwa knew that. To an extent. He just nodded and used the arms of his coat to wipe at his eyes. He should have been happy to have a seal. Something that would keep him from hurting more people than he already had. Maybe if he stayed away from people, if he didn’t get close, no one could ever be hurt again._

_Yeah. He could just… never become close to anyone again. Because that meant they couldn’t accidentally be harmed by his magic. No one would die or be injured or… worse, if there was such a thing that could be worse._

_“King Hyungsik?” Seonghwa finally spoke after contemplating his next move, his body slowly turning to pick up the staff he had left on the ground. “Do you think I’m cursed?”_

_The king had half expected such a comment from the boy. He sighed, a hand stroking over his beard._

_  
“Not under the conditions of what ‘cursed’ means to us. But… surely you remember how I found you.”_

_The boy nodded, hand gripping his staff so hard his knuckles were turning white. The seal on his back was beginning to burn as the magic seeped under his skin._

_“Yes, King Hyungsik. I do.”_

\---

Jongho watched in sheer fascination at the way Wooyoung’s magic was literally _pulling_ the tattoo off of Seonghwa’s skin. He watched as the mage was silent, resilient, his hands clenched at his side resembling the way his jaw was tightly clenched, and those brilliant eyes of his stared directly into the wall leading to the outside porch.

The chimes dangling from the room’s ceiling had begun screaming as the wind and smoke from Wooyoung’s hand disturbed them, the smell of the magical smoke overpowering the scent of incense Wooyoung had burning. Jongho figured it was a spiritual thing to have the incense burning, but now he wondered if it was to mask the smell of the magic.

Jongho cradled Yeosang’s head against his chest, absentmindedly protecting his prince still, until it was over. Until the tattoo was hanging between Seonghwa and Wooyoung. He could see Seonghwa’s body shaking, but the mage was trying not to let it show by forcing his body upright. Once the portal in Wooyoung’s hand closed, Seonghwa dropped to one knee, head bowed to hide the emotion on his face.

“And you still wish to give the staff as well, Seonghwa?” Wooyoung spoke again of this prearranged meeting between them, and while Jongho wasn’t one to be _too_ untrusting, it was starting to make him kind of uncomfortable.

“Yes. The staff is yours.” Seonghwa’s voice was rough, but firm. As it always was, Jongho noticed. The mage did not lift his head as he moved to grab the forgotten shirt he had and began slipping it back on. Once the shirt was on, everyone watched as Seonghwa lifted his head and gave small, fake smile. “There. All done.”

Jongho opened his mouth and lifted a hand to say something but was interrupted by Hongjoong who had decided slamming his hand on the table was the best way to get everyone’s attention on him. He wasn’t wrong. San even yelped.

“Since no one else is going to ask, _I’m_ going to ask. Why the hell do you two not only know each other, but seem to have Seonghwa’s part of this deal _entirely_ figured out? How are we supposed to believe that Seonghwa isn’t the one who fucked with Yeosang’s memories and fucked the rest of us over?”

Seonghwa was actually the one to respond. The fake smile widened creepily on his face as he turned to look at his loud-mouth companion.

“Because Wooyoung is _also_ a dream-walker. I’m here because of someone else’s wish. I do not know this person, but I agreed a very long time ago. Because their wish coincided with mine. And now I’m here to complete their part of the wish by completing my own. You’re going to ask me _what_ that wish is that I agreed to and I can’t tell you. Why? Because all I was told was, I needed to go on a journey. And I wanted to run away. So, I agreed.”

Seonghwa gestured towards Wooyoung, who had scooted closer to San and was exchanging concerned looks between Seonghwa and San, who had wrapped an arm around Wooyoung’s as they watched Seonghwa go off.

“The person obviously came to Wooyoung for their wish. A little while ago, Wooyoung spoke to me in a dream to let me know the journey would be coming soon. This is when _your_ prince, Hongjoong, had made their wish for you. Which was, at the very same time, when that otherworldly event took Yeosang’s memories. You believe every world works on the same time and space continuum, don’t you? Of course, they don’t. Everyone knows that. Wooyoung, as a dream-walker, who has magic over time and space, saw all of this coming together. He knew I had been alerted about the wish I agreed to long before and was simply telling me to come soon. That’s when I told him my tattoo and staff would pay my price. Did you think the trans-dimensional tea shop worked on anything other than time and space magic?”

  
  
Jongho could cut the tension in the room with a knife. He kept quiet about how he just realized ‘wish granting’ meant altering dimensions to make things come true. That was something he may or may not have to mention later.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at Seonghwa and abruptly shot himself up, a hand already on the handle of his sword. Oh god. Jongho looked to Wooyoung and San who were concerned, but not overly so. Wooyoung would have the ability to stop them from fighting and Jongho had to trust that.

“I don’t like the tone you use, _mage_. I also don’t like how much you talk down to every damn person around you when you speak. I liked you a lot more when you kept your mouth shut.” Hongjoong’s voice was lower than Jongho had heard it during their short time together, and the fear it struck in him was… fascinating. Hongjoong seemed like he was all bark, but Jongho realized his bite was his secret weapon.

Seonghwa stood in response and walked right up in front of Hongjoong. Wooyoung still made no move to stop them.

“And you don’t have to like me _ever_ , actually. We’re all just trying to get to our own personal end goals, we just have to go through the journey together. If we work together and we achieve our mutual goals, we can part and never see one another again. You work with me, then you see your prince and then never have to see me again. Simple.”

  
  
Hongjoong was still death glaring Seonghwa, but he had slowly moved his hand away from his sword so he could jab his finger into the taller man’s chest.

“Fine. But we’re going to get one thing _very_ clear right here, right now. I don’t like you. We’re not friends, we’re not companions, this damn well better be a _work trip_ for the two of us. Don’t expect any compassion from me.” Hongjoong took his hand away and Seonghwa continued to smile.

“Aw, and here I was hoping we were going to become best friends.”

“This really feels like some ‘ _enemies to lovers’_ drama shit right now. Woo, are you sure you didn’t plan this?”

Thank God, San saved the day and cut the tense argument with a joke. Wooyoung himself snorted and broke out laughing, the two of them just having the time of their lives, while Seonghwa and Hongjoong just looked at the two as though they had just committed the worst crime known to mankind. Jongho felt lighter.

Hongjoong just rolled his eyes and groaned, body turning to point right at San. “Okay! And _another_ thing! Wooyoung, are you ever going to tell us what the hell San is doing here? Why is he part of this, other than to bother us?”

“I take offense to that! You’re no sunshine, Hongjoong, I’m just trying to lighten the mood since you apparently have a stick up your ass!”

“Listen here you little—”

Wooyoung actually stood up that time to place himself between where Hongjoong was standing and San who was still sitting on a cushion. “Okay, okay, that’s enough! San isn’t going on a journey and he isn’t a trans-dimensional witch. He’s just _San_. He’s a human college kid working here to fulfill his wish. He felt lonely and a part time job was going to be the answer to his wish because it would allow him to talk to people and find a best friend. He decided he’d work here, so he helps me out a lot! Customers love him, honestly.”

San grinned, moved from behind Wooyoung’s legs on his cushion, and held up a peace sign over his eye up at Hongjoong. Jongho actually liked San thus far, he had to give Wooyoung that. He was a pretty personable person he made the atmosphere lighter.

Jongho’s eyes gazed down at Yeosang’s sleeping form, still stroking over his hair like he had been doing since he sat down. Yeosang would like Wooyoung and San. He would like how carefree and fun they were. Maybe one day, when he got his memories back, Yeosang could meet them.

“Look, we can keep arguing, but you guys have to get ready to leave. People don’t normally take this long talking to me.” Wooyoung sat back down but kept his arm around San’s shoulders. “I realize I had to explain some logistics, but you have to understand that Yeosang needs to get his memories back. He isn’t going to wake up if you’re having teatime in my shop, you know.”

Seonghwa and Hongjoong shot each other a look, but reluctantly sat back down. Per usual, Hongjoong is the one who spoke up. “Fine. Anything else we need to know before we pack up and leave?”

Wooyoung nodded. “Yeosang will wake up after the first butterfly is returned to him. He won’t wake up immediately, but he’ll slowly regain consciousness. He’ll remember his name and perhaps where he’s from, but nothing else. Be gentle with him while explaining the situation. After each butterfly is returned, he’ll remember more and more of himself. He’ll sleep for a period after they’re returned while his soul regains itself, so be aware of that. He’ll wake up with new memories each time. So, don’t lie about anything!”

Jongho looked down at Yeosang’s face again, uncaring to how his other arm felt like it was dead under his prince’s weight.

“And none of those memories will be of me.” Wooyoung looked over at Jongho sympathetically, his head shaking as he took his arm back from San. He actually got up and walked over to sit beside Jongho, right at Yeosang’s head.

“His body won’t absorb back the memories of you, no. That was the price. I want you to know, however, that it doesn’t mean you can’t make new memories, right? Look, I know you care a lot about him. I know you love him. He fell in love with you too, didn’t he?” Jongho stayed quiet, but Wooyoung pressed on. “Because he fell in love with the _person_ you are. Keep being you and I know he’ll fall in love with you again. These things transcend time and space. I don’t think that real, true love can completely be taken from someone. Y’know? I’m sure his soul will remember. Have faith.”

  
  
“Yeah—yeah. You’re right. I just want to see him smile again. I don’t think that I care that he won’t love me again. I mean, it’s shitty, but… I just want him alive and healthy. See him smile and be happy again. I don’t want him to remember the pain he went through. I don’t want him to remember the way he screamed for me. None of it.”

  
  
Wooyoung wrapped his arm around Jongho’s shoulders and moved closer into the boy’s space, knocking his head softly against Jongho’s. “He won’t. He won’t remember the even because he can’t remember you.”

  
  
“I guess that makes up for him losing all of his memories of me.” Jongho wriggled under Wooyoung’s arm, craning his neck away from Wooyoung’s head. “Can you maybe not touch me? Sorry. Not really someone who likes people in my personal space.”

  
  
“Unless it’s Yeosang?”

  
  
“Unless it’s Yeosang.”

  
  
“Understood.” Wooyoung pulled back, snickering happily to himself, and clapped when he stood up. “Okay! Let’s get you guys some supplies and go over final logistics before you head out.”

\---

After Wooyoung dismissed them all to collect whatever they needed to from his spare room, Hongjoong made an immediate beeline for Wooyoung, holding him firm by the arm, and tugged the boy out of the room and into one of the teashop’s spare rooms. Why the hell were so many of the rooms empty, anyways?

“Alright, look. You said you talked to Yunho. How did he know how to talk to you? I know his family is said to have magic in it, but Yunho has never mentioned anything like you before. I’ve never even _seen_ Yunho perform anything magic related.”

Hanguk Country was known for magic but was secretive about it. The royal family was said to be filled with magic, though Hongjoong had never personally seen anything. Not from any of them. Not the way he had seen with his mother. That’s why he had been so confused and curious about Wooyoung’s magic. Because he’d never seen magic quite like Wooyoung before.

Wooyoung was a dream-walker like his mother. That made sense. It was the dimensional stuff that had gotten ahold of him. Because for Hongjoong, it was someone opening a rift in time and space that had killed his mother. It was beings from another dimension that had been unleashed on his family that had ruined everything. He felt pretty fine about how apprehensive he was around Wooyoung. He had every right to be.

“Calm down, calm down. Just because Yunho isn’t flaunting his magic around all the time doesn’t mean that he isn’t aware of stuff. It isn’t my place to tell you what Yunho knows. He kept the price for his wish a secret for a reason. Wait until you see him again and ask him, Hongjoong.” Wooyoung pretended to lock his lips and throw the key away. Hongjoong just rolled his eyes and grabbed the boy’s shoulder before he could walk off.

“Not done.” Wooyoung pouted but turned back around. “I don’t like this. I don’t like you; I don’t like that mage you know so well, and don’t like _any_ of this. I have no reason to trust you at all. You showed me you’re magical, whatever—I’ve seen enough magic in my time to know that you’re being honest about what you can do. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t keeping stuff a secret from us.”

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes before quickly glancing around. Making sure no one was around. They were all still in one of the spare rooms gathering supplies.

“Hongjoong, remember how I said earlier that there are a lot more people than Yunho who aren’t here who are part of this? I _mean_ it. If you think I’m some benevolent witch out to get you, think of it this way—there’s nothing special about you!” Wooyoung just threw his hands up and shrugged. “Why the hell would I pull the most random grouping of people together to fuck them over? I wouldn’t! I could find much stronger and cooler people to wreak havoc on the other dimensions!”

  
  
Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, arms now folded over his chest. Upon seeing that he wasn’t satisfied, Wooyoung groaned and pouted yet again.

“Seriously! I’ve been doing this for a hell of a lot longer than you’ve been alive, longer than Seonghwa’s been alive, and you think I personally handpicked you to—what, take over the _universe_? What do you think I would even be doing with you? Yunho wanted you to learn a lesson and you want to go home. I’m giving you that. Seonghwa wants to go on a journey and never return home. I’m giving him that. Yeosang triggered a magical event somehow and lost his memories and Jongho wants to get them back. So, what am I doing? Giving him that! Look me in the eye and tell me what I’m getting out of this.”

  
  
For once, Hongjoong was silent. Wooyoung widened his eyes and tilted his head, hands still up, waiting for Hongjoong to say something. Nothing came.

“See? You have no reason to not trust me! I’m even giving you supplies for _free_ right now! Geez. Hongjoong, I promise there’s nothing more I want than for all of this to work out. Seriously. I _like_ making people happy. Unfortunate things like Yeosang happen. I can’t tell you what happened because I don’t _know_. I saw it, I can tell the type of magic, but I can’t tell you _why_. No one was there to perform the spell. It had to have been some chain reaction from the temple they were in. But I can help make things right. That’s what I’m doing. Jongho wouldn’t have been able to do this alone, so I made sure all of your wishes coincided so you could fulfill them together. So, everyone wins.”

Hongjoong didn’t like Wooyoung’s explanation because it seemed too easy. And the fact that he kept talking about Yeosang on and on definitely spoke to the fact that he was hiding something. But Wooyoung was right: he had no reason not to trust him right now. He would be wary of the witch, though. Wooyoung was on neutral ground with Hongjoong: no trust, but no distrust.

“Fine. I’m watching you, though. Don’t think just because I don’t have a response for your ramblings that I trust you right now.” Wooyoung grinned at the shorter man and wrapped one of his arms around Hongjoong’s shoulders.

“Great! Neutral is fine. Now, how about we get you some stuff and you can be on your way? I still have a few more surprises for you!”

  
  
Hongjoong shoved Wooyoung’s arm off and stepped a couple of feet away. “Don’t touch me.”

  
  
“San was right, you really do have a stick in your ass. You have _got_ to work on your anger, I bet there’s a really good person in there. Wanna talk about it? Vent a little to me? I bet you’d make a _fantastic_ leader if you smiled more!”

“Please no.” Hongjoong was doing his best to walk faster than Wooyoung, who had started tapping at his shoulder.

… fantastic leader, huh.

\---

“Okay, is everyone ready? Everyone good?”

By the time all of the extra supplies had been packed up and everyone had their cloaks and shoes back on, the rain outside had stopped. Seonghwa opted for a smaller bag than Hongjoong, who was perhaps over prepared, and Jongho had a good-sized bag too—and he was still holding Yeosang in his arms.

Everyone stood in the grass where they had arrived, all ready to go, while Wooyoung and San stood under the chimes on the porch. They were wet, but the multi-colored pieces glistened in the post-rain sun.

Everyone nodded and Wooyoung grinned. “Ah, feels like I’m a parent watching my kids go off on their own. Now, there are a few final things I need to tell you. What you must understand is that there’s no way to predict what world you’re going to. You’ll simply go to them, perhaps find a butterfly or not, and then leave to the next place. More than likely you’ll only go to worlds containing Yeosang’s memories, but that isn’t for sure.”

  
  
“Wooyoung?” Jongho would have raised his hand, but he had to hold Yeosang. “Won’t it take a long time to find the butterflies? How will we be able to distinguish them from anything else? Did we discuss how we would be traveling, and I somehow missed it?”

  
  
Wooyoung was seriously going miss this kid. He’d met a ton of people in his life, but Jongho was keenly aware of everything. Always thought ahead, always thinking of others. He wished he could tell Jongho more. He wished he could tell them all more. But there was just so much going on, he couldn’t… risk any of it going wrong right now.

“Nope, my sweet Jongho, but I’m about to!” Wooyoung held his palm open like had done when taking the seal from Seonghwa’s back, but instead of something being sucked in, something was coming out.

“Oh!” Jongho’s eyes lit up the second he saw the creature. It was small, about as tall as any of their heads, and was entirely white. A sort of… not quite humanoid, too small and round to be human, but had a cute little face and a flower atop its head. “Yeosang and I saw those in engravings back in Anthina!”

Wooyoung wasn’t surprised, given the history of Anthina. But that was something for the shopkeeper to keep to himself for now. “Why don’t you name him then? Did you guys name them?”

  
  
“Yeah, Yeosang called them ‘ _Hehetmon’_ all the time. I guess that’s as good a name as any. What’s it for? We just thought they were strange demigods or something. They were always depicted with the larger gods.”

Wooyoung let the little being fly over and rest itself sitting on Jongho’s shoulder. It hadn’t spoken yet, but by the way it was kicking its legs it looked like it really, really wanted to.

“Their original name has been long lost through time but consider them something like familiars. For magic users who were not trained in trans-dimensional travel or anything close to it, they could have these little guys made in order to help them send packages and even themselves through dimensions. It took a lot of magic to make them, so their price was quite high.”

Hongjoong wasn’t glaring, surprisingly, but Wooyoung did watch as he looked back at the little being on Jongho’s shoulder.

“So, this is how we’re going to travel? It opens a portal or something?” Hongjoong pointed back to the little Hehetmon, as Jongho called it. “What’s the flower for?”

“Actually, he’s good for a lot more than just the portals.” Wooyoung held his opposite hand out, and another one came from the portal in his hand. Instead of white, this one was yellow. “Each of them can open portals, but I modified that ‘ _Hehetmon’_ to be able to detect magical signatures. Which means that it can detect the butterflies and help you find them more easily. The flower projects a screen above it that’s linked with the one I have here so you can talk to me. If you need anything, I can grant the wish. It’s mouth acts like a sort of black hole for things that it can find when you need it. Or, it can be sent to me through its mouth and from this one’s.”

Wooyoung saw Jongho’s eyes were glistening. He really was the son of an archeologist. He looked like learning these things about the pictures he saw on walls was the greatest thing he’d ever heard in his life.

“This is how you’ll travel and keep in touch with me.” The yellow one in Wooyoung’s hand floated over to rest atop of San’s head this time.

“Woo, tell them the best part.” San plucked the little being from his head and Wooyoung watched with a grin. They had always taken a liking to San. Everyone liked San—it was impossible not to.

“Do you all think you’re going to speak the same language as everyone else you visit? Did you think about that?” Silence. “In fact, did you think you were all speaking the same language to one another the entire time you’ve been here?”

Wooyoung watched with absolute delight as every last one of them, even Seonghwa, paused to consider the fact that they hadn’t even questioned the language thing.

“These little guys can automatically translate a pretty large area. Basically, the magic makes you hear whatever is being said in your own language. You’re all hearing another language in your minds right now and didn’t know it! It’s one of their many secret techniques that you’ll learn!”

“Hehetmon has lots of magic!” The white Hehetmon on Jongho’s shoulder finally spoke, then bounced itself right on over to Hongjoong. “Hehetmon and Hongjoong are going to be best friends.”

  
  
Hongjoong let out a little growl and reached up to grab Hehetmon, but it had already moved away to Hongjoong’s other shoulder. Seonghwa raised a hand over his mouth and actually laughed at it.

  
“Not funny, mage! Jongho, control your pet!” Hongjoong swiped at Hehetmon to grab it, but it laughed and flew back over to sit on Jongho’s head. Wooyoung had a feeling their newest addition was going to make things easier for them.

Wooyoung watched Hehetmon and Hongjoong bicker while Jongho tried to calm him down and Seonghwa just watched with someone almost fond in his eyes until San walked over and placed his arm around Wooyoung’s waist. Perhaps it was too intimate of a touch right now. Especially since they were just boss and worker—but had he and San ever been conventional work partners? San had been touchy since day one and Wooyoung still hadn’t told him to stop.

“I think everyone is gonna work out, Woo. I know you’re worried, but I think it’ll be fine. Nothing you can do right now. They have to learn to work together. Mostly Seonghwa and Hongjoong. I think Jongho will keep them together. I’m sure when Yeosang wakes up it’ll be another story too. Suddenly their goal will be staring them in their faces, and they’ll realize they need to stop being stupid. Mostly Hongjoong.”

  
  
“When did you get so smart?” Wooyoung leaned slightly further into the touch, folding his arms over his chest, as his eyes softening as he watched Seonghwa actually approach Jongho to offer to hold Yeosang. “They’ll be fine, yeah. Can’t hold their hand together. No matter how badly I want all of this to go right.”

  
  
San smiled and, unfortunately, pulled his arm away. “Gotta let them go, momma bird. Teach them to fly!”

Wooyoung laughed at the comparison because it seriously felt that way and clapped his hands so that he could get their attention again. It was finally time for them to head out to their first world.

“Okay, time to go! Chop chop! If you don’t get a butterfly to Yeosang soon he’s going to start deteriorating!” Jongho had denied Seonghwa the offer to hold Yeosang, but the older had stuck around the boy’s side anyways. “Again, I have no idea where you’ll end up. But use Hehetmon to talk to me if you need anything! Hehetmon, please do the honors and open up the portal. It’s time to go.”

The little white creature floated in front of all of them, humming a little before a “ _Kyu_!” was emitted from its mouth. Its eyes were open, sharp, and the ground began to open up beneath them. A dark purple began to swirl around them, tendrils of magic suddenly shooting from below to grab at them as the portal moved up to swallow them. In the blink of an eye, the portal was closed up, and all of them were gone.

Off to their first world, and off to save Yeosang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading this work!
> 
> I've taken a lot of liberties with Tsubasa, but know I've kept CLAMP's attention to detail. Note that everything said in the chapters, even if it seems weird, isn't by mistake. They'll come back around!
> 
> I've planned quite a bit ahead, so look forward to it! I might even have little things to upload between main chapters!
> 
> Thank you again for reading, see you soon!


	3. World: Modern Tokyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew's first world brings them to: Modern Day Tokyo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the third chapter!
> 
> I've added a tentative number of end chapters finally, having every chapter completely planned out now! There are a few surprised coming, so stay tuned!
> 
> In this chapter I've laid out the basic idea of the journey and the point of it all, but had a lot of fun with it, honestly.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! See you soon!!

~xXx~

The first thing that Seonghwa noticed was how loud it was around them.

Hehetmon hadn’t decided the place, nor the area that they would arrive at, but this place was _loud_. There were buildings as tall as the sky, signs everywhere, and there were lights surrounding everything—even in broad daylight. There were strange machines running on the rounds, making their own loud sounds, and every inch of the pavement was filled with people. People… dressed nothing like them.

Everyone seemed like they were in a hurry, but there was a lot of laughter and yelling—he wondered what sort of place they had ended up in. The signs appeared to be for shops of some kind. He could see vendors of all kinds set up in front of them.

“Holy shit.” Jongho stepped forward, Yeosang still in his arms. Hehetmon quickly moved to rest in the sleeping boy’s arms to hide himself.

  
“Jongho, watch your language.”

  
“What, are you his mom now?” Hongjoong butted himself in, eyeing everyone who looked their way. He had to admit to himself that they really, really were sticking out.

“I’m the closest thing to a mother he’s going to have for a while.” Seonghwa couldn’t resist smirking a little over at Hongjoong. “You want to be his dad?”

Jongho didn’t say a word, only glanced between Hongjoong and Seonghwa. Hongjoong gave him a look, one that silently told him not to press his luck, before he looked to the eldest. “No, but I think I’ll be the leader of this group. Considering they’re just kids and you don’t seem to be adding anything except snarky comments. Also—you brought yourself to the tea shop, right?”

  
  
Seonghwa quirked an eyebrow up at the extremely random comment but nodded. “Yes?”

“You traveled between dimensions.”

  
  
“Yes?”

  
  
Seonghwa could see the veins begin popping in the man’s neck. Given other circumstances, it may have been attractive. “Then why the hell are we using that _mandu_ over there to take us places when you can do it?”

Ah, yes, Seonghwa saw this coming. He figured at some point his companions would ask him why he wasn’t using magic. For the answer to that… would never be given. Instead of giving a real answer, Seonghwa just smiled his all too fake smile at Hongjoong. “It’s not as fun if I do it myself. Hehetmon doesn’t seem to mind.”

  
  
“Didn’t you give up your staff anyways?” Jongho hoisted Yeosang up in his arms as he moved in closer to the older two. Seonghwa knew they needed to find somewhere to stay soon and let Jongho rest. He had been holding Yeosang for hours.

Seonghwa opened his mouth to talk, but Hongjoong held a hand up at him to stop him. “Magic users don’t _need_ things like rings or staffs to perform magic. Just helps for sharper spells or attacks. Like pouring water from a pitcher instead of a bucket sort of thing. Flows better.”

  
  
Seonghwa was… surprised. Hongjoong hadn’t really mentioned a knowledge of magic before, and though his comment was rather generic, it was true. Well, alright then. Jongho looked up at him for confirmation and all Seonghwa could do was slowly shut his mouth and nod his head.

  
  
“I would give him a snarkier comment, but I’ll give credit where credit is due. He’s correct.” Jongho didn’t seem to know what to do with the two of them getting along, so Seonghwa’s smile returned as he turned himself to face their new ‘leader.’ “Alright, leader, how about you find out where we are for us? It isn’t like any place I’ve ever seen. And I think Jongho’s remark earlier proves he hasn’t either.”

“Really not gonna let the kid swear, huh?” Seonghwa shrugged. Hongjoong just watched him for a second. “Fine. I’ll figure out where we are.”

Seonghwa watched as Hongjoong looked around at the people passing by them, some too into something in their hands to really look up and pay attention, some whispering amongst themselves when they looked over. Hongjoong picked some poor younger guy to yank out of the crowd. He nearly dropped the thing in his hand.

“Hey, watch it! I could’ve dropped my phone, man. What the hell do you want?” The guy pushed his hat back and yanked his arm out of Hongjoong’s hold.

“Where are we?” The guy rolled his eyes and started to walk back into the crowd.

“Akihabara? In Tokyo? Bunch of cosplaying freaks, go bother someone else!” And with that, the guy was gone. But Hongjoong had succeeded in figuring out where they were. Though the guy had been pretty rude about it, Hongjoong seemed happy that he’d proven to Seonghwa he could be a leader… by finding out where they were. Fine, he’d let Hongjoong have the title. Seonghwa didn’t want the spotlight on him anyways. Honestly. It caused too much trouble.

He didn’t like having much attention on him anyways.

“Tokyo. Never heard of a world called Tokyo before. Either of you heard of it?” Jongho and Seonghwa shook their heads. “Well, we need to figure out a way to make some money. We’ll need a place to stay in case finding this butterfly takes a long time to find. Considering how busy this place is I’m willing to bet it will. Jongho, you’re not finding a job with us. You need to watch Yeosang until we can get him awake. Let’s find a place to keep you two until we figure this out.”

The crew all looked around, slowly walking down one of the streets with the other fish in this river, until they found an alleyway that was mostly deserted. Every single alley had more stalls, more people in them, and there was nowhere for Jongho to sit in any of them. Luckily, they did find one. Jongho sat down against a brick wall, on the hard ground, with Yeosang comfortable laying against him still. Hehetmon hadn’t moved from Yeosang’s arms the entire time.

“Jongho, are you alright here by yourself? I realize we don’t know each other well, but the company I’m sure is a comfort…” Seonghwa wouldn’t have minded just letting Hongjoong off on his own, but Hongjoong was more forward than he was. He also didn’t know the man _at all_. He had no idea if Hongjoong would cause a fight or something.

Jongho just smiled and shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I’m pretty strong, honestly. I can fend for myself while you guys go out. Seriously. I can break apples in half with my bare hands. Yeosang watched me break an entire barrel for him once.”  
  
Oh, that got both his _and_ Hongjoong’s attention. The two oldest exchanged rather shocked looked before Hongjoong specifically looked over to and pointed at Jongho.

“Okay, when we find a place to stay, we’re going to have a meeting where we get to know each other. If you’re lying about being able to break apples in half, I will never let you live it down.” Seonghwa wasn’t certain he’d ever seen Hongjoong seem so passionate about something that didn’t involve violence. Did breaking apples involve violence? Perhaps just on the apples.

“My question is why would Yeosang want to watch you do that?” Now Hongjoong was smiling. Seonghwa wished he wouldn’t have said anything.

“Bet he has a thing for strong guys. It’d explain why he likes—”  
  
“Okay!” Jongho held one hand up (of course the one not cradling Yeosang) and waved at them. “That’s enough about that, shouldn’t you guys go find jobs, so we don’t have to sleep in the alley tonight?”

Hongjoong was still happily grinning and Seonghwa wondered for a minute where _this_ side of Hongjoong had been. He looked a lot more approachable when he wasn’t glaring. If teasing meant bringing out a calmer side, Seonghwa would grin and bear it. It was more personable for Hongjoong to present himself to strangers as a happier person.

“Alright… but come find us if you need anything or if anything happens.” Seonghwa knelt down in front of the trio, bringing a hand to cover the side of his mouth to pretend like he was telling a secret. “Hehetmon, you’ll take good care of Jongho, right? You’ll help him find us if something goes wrong?

The little creature didn’t speak but did open one of its eyes and smiled for a minute.

“Good. Alright, we’re going. We’ll come back to you as soon as we possibly can.” Jongho nodded, and the oldest two turned to walk back out of the alley and into the crowd.

He had no idea how they were going to do this, but they had to.

\---

Hongjoong was lost. In many ways. This Tokyo area was way too busy. And they couldn’t stray too far from the alley because Hehetmon’s magic wouldn’t reach too far and they wouldn’t be able to understand everyone around them. Or each other. Thankfully with so many shops and places to eat around them, it might not be hard to find work.

“I have no idea where to even begin.” Hongjoong wasn’t afraid to admit such a thing. They were all aware that this world was a little too… crazy for them. Incredibly unlike anything else they’d ever known. Jobs for them includes mages for hire, bodyguards, cooks, cleaners, labor of any kind… would those jobs translate in such a setting?

“Neither do I. But we have to figure something out. We can’t just call Wooyoung for every little thing. It’ll cost us, and we don’t have anything left to give him right now.”

Seonghwa was right. They really, seriously didn’t have anything to offer Wooyoung. He’d already been too nice in giving them practical supplies like matches and a couple minor weapons like knives, asking him to give them a job in this world would cost way more than that. Hongjoong ran a hand through his hair, hand pushing back down the longer bits on the back of his neck.

“Do you know how to cook?” That was quite a question from Hongjoong. Seonghwa looked over at him, quirking an eyebrow up before he faced forward again as they walked through the crowd.

“Yes, I can cook. I can do most jobs. I would prefer not doing labor.” Wouldn’t everyone prefer not doing labor? Hongjoong rolled his eyes for the millionth time and was about to shame Seonghwa for not wanting to put his best effort into whatever job they could find when they were absolutely _bombarded_ by one of the girls in the crowd.

Hongjoong was no expert on what these people wore, but this girl was absolutely not dressed like anyone else. Not like the ‘normal’ people around them.

She was much shorter than even Hongjoong was but was dressed in… quite the dress. It was the brightest pink he had ever seen, and some pattern of… rabbits, bows, moons? There was a lot of lace and ruffles in the dress too, and her arms were decorated with bracelets of similar bright colors. She wore white stockings, pink latched shoes, and… even the headband she wore in her bright yellow hair was bright pink, ruffle filled, and had a ton of bows on it. There were bows all down her hair, which curled down her back. Her entire outfit had a lot of bows on it.

“Oh my _god_ , are you guys street cosplayers?! I don’t recognize the characters—oh my god, do you do a show around here?! Which one, which one, which one?!”

  
  
“We’re not—” But before Hongjoong could say anything else to the girl, Seonghwa had reached over and clamped his hand over Hongjoong’s mouth. The shorter of the two glared at him but kept silent. The hand didn’t move.

“And if we _were_ street cosplayers? We don’t have jobs at all, actually. We were thinking of trying to find work so we… dressed up?” Seonghwa was smiling so, so painfully fake at her, but Hongjoong had a feeling her smile was also fake to an extent. It wasn’t that Seonghwa’s smile was noticeably fake. Hongjoong was just a man trained to detect such things, so it was painfully obvious to _him_.

Maybe that fake smile would come in handy doing a…. ‘cosplaying’ job.

“No one has taken you guys in yet?! I know the perfect job! My café has been wanting to do more anime stuff, and with your hair—” She reached out to fluff at the front of Hongjoong’s hair, and Seonghwa just pressed his hand down further against Hongjoong’s mouth. “You guys would make the perfect _Naruto and Sasuke!_ Oh my god, I can see it now--”

While the girl went on and on about this ‘Naruto and Sasuke’ business, Seonghwa still stood close, one hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder while his hand stayed firm against his mouth. Hongjoong would have seriously preferred to not be in this position, but he would have definitely told that girl off had it not been for Seonghwa. And they would have missed this opportunity.

Hongjoong wasn’t always so angry. Seriously, even with Yunho he had been pretty normal and happy enough given what he had gone through. He wondered what in his past had brought it on. He couldn’t quite pin it down.

“Alright, we wouldn’t mind working for your café. So long as it’s rather close. You see, we have a friend who works nearby and we… live with him for the time being. So, we’d like to stay near him. If that’s alright?” Seonghwa was personable. Hongjoong watched him out of the corner of his eye silently. Maybe he did have a thing or two he’d have to learn. But he’d be damned if he learned it from someone who was as strange as Seonghwa.

“Great!! The café is just over here!” The girl gestured to one of the many, many brightly lit buildings lining the streets. “It’s on the second floor, I’ll show it to you! Oh—and my name is Rin! I almost forgot to introduce myself! Normally, I’m inside waiting on guests, but they sent me outside to be quite and pass out flyers!” If her voice squeaked one more time, Hongjoong was gonna lose it. “Come on! Daichi and Ryou will love you!”

  
  
While Rin started walking them through the crowd towards the building, Seonghwa finally took his hands away from Hongjoong’s space. The very first thing Hongjoong did was wipe at his mouth for reasons he wasn’t… quite sure. It felt right.

“My god, does she ever stop talking?” Hongjoong tried not to glare too much at the people that pushed him as they tried maneuvering through the crowd. Seriously, he felt like salmon swimming upstream. “I guess doing whatever the hell she does is as good a job as anything. Not hard labor. Isn’t that what you said you wouldn’t do.”

  
  
The smile Seonghwa smiled this time was perhaps 70% fake. The rest was an absolute sneaky smile. He was enjoying this, wasn’t he?

“I did. I knew I could find a way around it.” Seonghwa was something else. Hongjoong moved to step inside the building, but Seonghwa’s arm blocked him. “Listen. We need to be careful about this, Hongjoong. I realize a man like _you_ doesn’t want to lie, but we have to pretend like we understand. Follow my lead. If we need to figure something out that might be common knowledge to people here, I can lie my way into it and get to what we need. But you have to trust and listen to me.”

  
  
Hongjoong pressed on Seonghwa’s arm and forced it down, stepping his body right in front of the mage’s, now blocking Seonghwa from the door.

“What is ‘ _a man like you’_ supposed to mean, mage? I think it’s admirable for someone to not lie. Only people who are _hiding_ something lie.”

Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed at that, but his gaze flickered from Hongjoong’s eyes to the back of Rin’s dress as she started up the stairs, till talking away to herself. “We don’t have time for this, Hongjoong. You’re going to make a scene and make them suspicious.”

Hongjoong slowly removed his arm from where it blocked the doorway, but his gaze was still set on his companion. Seonghwa was hiding something. Something very personal, but perhaps very harming to them all.

“You just told me to trust you-- I don’t see how you _expect_ me to trust you when all you do is fake your smiles and _lie_ to us. I trust Jongho, but I don’t trust you with _anything_.” With that, Hongjoong turned and made his way up the stairs with Rin.

He didn’t give a damn about Seonghwa. The only people he cared about were worlds away from him. He found comfort in knowing Mingi was taking care of Yunho, but he wished more than anything he could be there instead of on some stupid journey with a man like Seonghwa.

It wasn’t that Seonghwa had spoken and lied. He lied with his eyes. He lied with his body language. Everything Seonghwa did, Hongjoong could tell it _betrayed_ who he really was. It made his skin crawl. It made him _angry_.

Hongjoong didn’t turn once to see if Seonghwa had even followed them upstairs. By the presence he felt at his back and the way Rin was grinning, he figured Seonghwa was behind him.

“Stay right here! I’m going to go get the managers!” Rin waved her hands at them and turned to run back through the café.

It was… not as bright as Hongjoong expected. The walls were black, actually, but the floor was wooden. Very interesting sets of black tables and chairs filled the room, each with little figurines and strange toys on them, and even the walls in places had posters with these same figurine people on them. Hongjoong eyed other people dressed strangely like Rin dancing and singing around the people who were at the tables. Strange lights around the ceiling began to change colors, and it seemed like everyone in that place knew what it meant but them. The singing then got louder.

“Sorry! Sorry to keep you waiting!” Rin returned with two rather normal looking men in tow. Both of them were taller than Seonghwa, but thinner. One was wearing a simple black, short sleeved shirt, with a pair of black pants. This guy had glasses and short black hair he had fixed back. The other had hair the same color as Hongjoong, but it was long all the way around where Hongjoongs was only long in the back. He wore a white shirt and black jeans but had on a jacket that resembled the material San’s ripped pants had been made from.

“Hey, you were right, Rin. They’d make a pretty okay duo.” The one in all black spoke first. Rin seemed excited and clapped her hands together at the pseudo-compliment.

“I told you! Isn’t the tall one so mysterious? Just like in the anime!”

“Yeah, but they look more like _Final Fantasy_ characters than anything else. Couple more accessories and a little makeup and they’d be your typical JRPG guys. That could also work.” The guy in the strange jacket looked them up and down, then held his hand out towards Seonghwa first. “Daichi. Ryou over here is my co-owner.”

Seonghwa smiled pleasantly and shook the man’s hand. “Seonghwa. My friend here is Hongjoong” Daichi held his hand out to Hongjoong next, who just shook it without a word.

“Nice to meet you guys. Where are you from? Your names sound Korean or something.” Ryou spoke next, but he didn’t try to shake their hands. He’d kept his hands in his pockets essentially the entire time he’d been standing there looking them up and down.

“Yes, Korea. We’re here for a couple of months… studying. Our friend works nearby.” Seonghwa lied so damn _easily_. It sounded so normal coming from him that you’d never believe he was faking it. Hongjoong just let him. He watched the guys’ body language instead.

“Oh yeah! I think they pointed towards where the arcade alley is.” They hadn’t, but Hongjoong was thankful for the addition. Seonghwa seemed that way as well.  
  
“Well, your Japanese is really good. That’s a plus for working here, obviously. Alright, come on. Let’s get you guys in some costumes and see what we think of you.” Ryou nudged his partner and started talking about the characters the boys might do while Rin moved forward and grabbed both of them by the wrist, yanking them back in the same direction the other two had started walking in.

Hongjoong seriously hoped Jongho was having a better time than they were.

\---

It had been a while since Seonghwa and Hongjoong had left him. Occasionally he would talk to Hehetmon, just to pass time. No one was around, so the little creature would sometimes whisper little answers, or make the flower on its head move to show he was listening. It was getting boring, and his body was starting to ache.

“We’ll get through this soon, Yeosang. I promise.” Jongho looked at his sleeping companion’s face, fingers trailing down from the beautiful birthmark at the corner of his eye all the way down to his colorless cheek. “Sorry I didn’t call you hyung more. I know you won’t remember when you wake up, but I’ll remember. I’ll make an effort this time since you liked it so much.”

He would like to call Yeosang a lot more than that, but he had to come to terms with knowing Yeosang might not love him again. Not like he had before. Jongho didn’t even know how much Yeosang had loved him; he just knew from the short confession from Yeosang that he felt the same way. Everything had gone to hell after that, though. He would never know what his Yeosang had thought of him.

His sweet prince. Prince Yeosang didn’t deserve any of this. He didn’t deserve to lose his memories, to be forced from his home, to go through the pain he had. Jongho would do everything in his power to make it better. To fix it.

It was alright. It had to be alright. There was no other choice.

Jongho’s eyes softened as the sadder thoughts filled his mind. Thoughts of his Yeosang’s bright smile, how deep and wonderful his laugh was, how Yeosang’s favorite thing was to just be near the people he loved. How he would silently watch his brother and Jaejin interact with the happiest smile on his lips, how he could remember the days Yeosang silently sat on Jongho’s bed for hours in silence while the younger wrote notes about an artifact he found down. Because Yeosang was just _wonderful_ , just wanted everyone around him happy, and wanted to be there for him. Would he be the same Yeosang when he woke up?

“Oh my god, are you alright?!”

Jongho, startled, sat upright and immediately looked over to see a duo of very concerned looking boys standing at the entrance to the alley. One was rather tall, thin, with freckles all over his cheeks and his hair a bright red. The boy next to him had chestnut colored hair that hung right above his eyes. Both had on pants like San had worn, that strange blue, but they didn’t have rips in them. The red haired one had on a white shirt with a green and white striped one over it, while the chestnut haired one just had on a beige colored, long-sleeved shirt. It looked thicker than a shirt, though. Almost like a sweater. It appeared to have a hood.

“Oh—yes, sorry, we’re fine. Don’t worry.” Jongho tried waving them off, but the red-haired boy still came forward and knelt down in front of them. He was specifically looking at Yeosang in Jongho’s arms.

“Mate, your friend is _really_ pale. Kinda out of it, obviously. Are you sure you shouldn’t take him to the hospital? See a doctor?” The concern from a complete stranger was weirdly nice, though he was concerned for people noticing them. If they got caught or caused trouble, that would make finding the butterfly impossible. And they couldn’t leave until they found it. It would waste too much time to be caught.

“Might be too nervous to, Felix.” The chestnut haired one came forward and knelt down beside of the other boy. “Did he just pass out from exhaustion or something? Does he have narcolepsy?”

Jongho was thankful for an out from the talk of a doctor seeing Yeosang or going anywhere else. “He can, yes. He’s been out for a while; my friends and I aren’t from around here and don’t have a place to stay? They’re out trying to find a job to get some quick money so we can find a room somewhere. They just told me to stay here until they had a place for us.”

  
  
“Seungmin.” Felix, Jongho guessed his name was, looked over at the boy next to him and gave a little pout of his lips. “We have to take them back. We can’t just let them sit in a cold alley for who _knows_ how long. Especially with one of them passed out like this.”

  
“I… ‘lix…” Seungmin sighed, concern written all over his face. “I want to, but what will Changbin-hyung think? And you know Jisung-hyung isn’t going to appreciate having strangers in our Air BnB.”

Jongho raised a hand, lazily waving it at the two of them to get their attention. “No, please, it’s alright.” He smiled a little to attempt to reassure the strangers that he was actually alright. “We’ll be alright.”

“At least let us take you two in for a little while? Maybe we can all help figure something out for you guys? Do you know where your friends went?” Jongho shook his head slowly, and Felix bit at his bottom lip before nodding. “Right. Right, I’m sure you don’t.” Felix paused, something flickering past his eyes as he turned to pout once more at Seungmin.

“… ‘lix. You know I want to, but…” More pouting. “… fine. Okay, okay. We’ll take them in. Please stop giving me the ‘puppy dog’ eyes. I can’t resist them.”

  
  
A wide grin spread on Felix’s lips and Seungmin just smiled back. It was sweet. For a second, Jongho was reminded of himself and Yeosang, actually. It made something warm blossom in his chest.

“Do you want to come with us? Oh, wait—” Felix flushed a faint pink and smiled rather lopsidedly, his fingers coming up to push some of his hair behind his ear. “Sorry, mate, I don’t think we asked your name?”

“Ah. No problem. I’m Jongho. This is Yeosang.” Jongho’s head made a quick nod down to signal it was Yeosang in his arms, as if it wasn’t obvious.

“Jongho. It’s nice to formally meet you! I’m Felix and this is Seungmin. We’re college kids from Korea, we’re just on a holiday of sorts. Do you want to maybe come with us for a little bit? I know we’re complete strangers, but it seriously… bothers me to imagine you and your friends just out here by yourselves. It’s gonna eventually get dark, what if your friends aren’t back before then? Have you eaten recently?”

Jongho thought about it for a second. Seonghwa and Hongjoong might be gone for a while trying to find a job. And if they did, they’d probably be working for a little while. Yeosang might get cold when the sun sets, and Jongho… couldn’t remember the last good meal he had. He’d been too worried about Yeosang and this entire journey at Wooyoung’s to even think about food. He could head out with Yeosang again and find the other two later. Or secretly have Hehetmon look for them.

He had to protect Yeosang. These two seemed trustworthy enough, like they were just normal guys. Just good people. Having time to maybe eat and relax somewhere comfortable was beginning to sound too tempting the more Jongho thought about it. Damnit, he was going to have to accept.

“… okay. It would be nice to not sit in an alley. And eat something.” Felix looked _elated_ at Jongho agreeing. He stood up and clapped his hands, which seemed to make Seungmin laugh. Jongho easily picked himself up off of the alley’s hard ground with Yeosang still secure in his arms. Hehetmon in Yeosang’s arms added some weight, but it wasn’t too terrible yet.

“We’re staying just a few streets over. Our friends are at one of the arcades next door, and believe me, they’ll be there a while. Let’s get some food in you and see what we can do about your friend, Jongho.” Seungmin’s hand found its way to resting on Jongho’s back, guiding the boy out of the alley and in the right direction.

“Yeah, Changbin-hyung mentioned something about heading over to one of the music stores when they were done at the arcade. He’ll probably text us before they get back, so we can get you back to your friends too. That way Jongho won’t be missing from his friends, and ours can’t get mad that I let a stranger into our Air BnB.”

Jongho had no idea what they were talking about but smiled along as they maneuvered through the dense crowd.

He tried looking around for Seonghwa and Hongjoong but saw nothing. He hoped they were doing alright. The crowds were crazy, the lights were bright, and the world was nothing like what they knew. As strong as they seemed, Jongho was sure that they were feeling the pressure. He hoped he could become helpful to them soon.

For now, he kept Yeosang close and safe.

\---

“This is stupid. What is a ‘ _Naruto’_ anyways?”

Seonghwa and Hongjoong had both been taken back to try on the costumes that Rin and her managers had picked out, and they all three had decided that the duo would in fact be these Sasuke and Naruto people. Seonghwa’s outfit had the chest entirely open, and for once he was happy that he was as in shape as he was. Rin fixed his bangs and hair back while the other two worked on Hongjoong.

They both had on makeup for the first times in their life. Hongjoong had on orange eyeshadow and sharp black eyeliner, paired with these cat-like marks on his cheeks. Seonghwa had his eyebrows thinned a little and filled in and wore similar eyeliner to Hongjoong. Both were given a little tint for their lips and… apparently that had been all.

Seonghwa thought Hongjoong’s outfit suited him. A black jacket with some orange on it, black pants, black sandals. Oh, and a headband on his forehead. The guys had done well spiking Hongjoong’s hair up too. Maybe without the headband and makeup it’d be fine for him to wear whenever. Seonghwa’s open white shirt, blue-ish colored pants, and sandals were not something he’d like to wear again. Nor did he want the sword it came with.

The job was just for them to stand outside and pass out fliers that had little coupons for the café. Sometimes people walked up and asked for pictures, which Hongjoong had apparently not been crazy about until they were given tips for them. Seonghwa noticed after that Hongjoong kept pretty quiet about it.

“I asked Rin. Said we weren’t as up to date in ‘Korea’ as they were. She was surprised, but from what I gather they’re ninjas. My character is apparently aloof and broods a lot. Lone wolf sort of thing.” Seonghwa kept talking so Hongjoong couldn’t make any remarks. “Your character is very loyal and loud, and somehow the strongest of his ninja friends. Apparently, his entire thing is trying to get my character back. Fans of the story seem to like them together.”

  
  
Oh, Seonghwa had quite the sneaky grin when he said that. Teasing Hongjoong was slowly becoming his new favorite hobby. Because it was funny watching the veins pop in Hongjoong’s neck and on his forehead. Especially right now. Because if Hongjoong acted out, they would lose their job. And when they lost their job, they wouldn’t get paid. And then they would have no food, nowhere to stay, and finding the butterfly would take longer.

“I fucking hate this. I don’t like the way people keep looking at us. Like we’re below them. Either one of us could snap them in two if we—”

  
  
“Language, Hongjoong.” Seonghwa saw a few girls walking towards him, and silently offered them a paper and a smirk. They giggled to themselves about it, all huddled together. He might like this a little bit. “We only have to pass this stack out and then we’ll get paid. Maybe we won’t have to do it but one more time. I can’t fathom that we’d be here longer than a few days.” He sighed and had to stop himself from running a hand through his hair. “A shower would be nice.”

Hongjoong forced a few flyers out to some pretty unexpecting people, then turned to look over at his companion. “Seriously? We have to somehow find a _blue butterfly_ in the biggest city I’ve ever seen in my damn life and you’re worried about a shower?”

  
  
“Some of us like being clean, Hongjoong. Didn’t your prince make sure his bodyguards smelled nice?”

Hongjoong didn’t look at Seonghwa that time. Just stared down at the flyers in his hands. “You don’t know anything about Yunho. Or me.”

Seonghwa hummed. No, perhaps he didn’t. But he could assume basic things. “Maybe not your prince, no, but you’re pretty easy to read.”

Hongjoong lifted his head as if he was going to say something about that, but he stopped. Seonghwa was a little concerned, his eyes slowly moving from Hongjoong’s face to the crowd in front of them. All Seonghwa saw was people. Others dressed similar to them. Lights, the stores, it was loud—what grabbed Hongjoong’s attention?

“Here.” Suddenly, Hongjoong was pushing the last of his flyers into Seonghwa’s hands before he was taking off through the crowd.

“Wait—Hongjoong, we can’t just leave!” Seonghwa gathered them all up neatly in his hands, eyes flashing to the café before he resigned himself to following Hongjoong down the street. “Hongjoong! Get back here, you can’t just wander off!”

  
The younger of them turned and grabbed Seonghwa by the wrist, rather forcibly, actually, and yanked him on from where Seonghwa had stopped to yell at him. “Just trust me for a second, come on!”

  
Seonghwa was the one to roll his eyes this time. Until they reached what Rin had called ‘Arcade Alley.’ There were machines in there, ones that played games on some electric screen, and while Seonghwa had no interest in them, Hongjoong apparently did.

“… _games_? You dragged us away from our job for _games_?” Seonghwa at least tried handing a few flyers out while he was being dragged, but that had been difficult.

“No—look! At the poster!”

Seonghwa glanced at Hongjoong to find the man was very, very serious about this poster. So Seonghwa induldged him and looked up.

It was a blue butterfly.

“I can’t—Hehetmon’s magic doesn’t translate every word, I have no idea what this says, Hongjoong.” Seonghwa turned around until he found someone sweeping up by one of the machines. He hurried over and grabbed the man’s shoulder, effectively making the poor guy scream a little bit and drop the broom in his hand.

“Oh—seriously! Don’t scare me like that!” The man knelt down and picked his broom up, then wiped his hand on his pants. “What do you want?”

  
  
“What is this? This butterfly thing?” The guy gave Seonghwa and Hongjoong a weird look, which reminded Seonghwa of what they looked like right now. “Naruto and Sasuke, huh? Whatever. It’s the _Butterfly Bonanza_ event? Whoever gets the highest score tomorrow on Butterfly Bonanza gets some replica butterfly from the game’s development. It looks real, moves its wings and whatever, but it’s fake from what I’ve been told. Haven’t seen it myself. Boss got it in a couple of days ago and he’s kept it in the office.”

  
  
Butterfly Bonanza must have been one of the games in the arcade. Seonghwa looked around until he saw machines that were all decorated with what looked to be blue butterflies, bees, and some other insects. This had to be where the butterfly was. This couldn’t be a coincidence. And they had to get it—if they didn’t, someone else would.

Seonghwa turned to look back at Hongjoong, who exchanged a stern look and a nod with him. They’d found it. Fate somehow took them there, because there was no way that they could have found it without Hehetmon. Even Seonghwa couldn’t detect magical signatures when they were that well concealed. Someone was trying to make sure it was hard for them to find them.

“We need to find Jongho _now_ , Seonghwa.” Seonghwa walked back to the front of the store with Hongjoong, leaving a very dazed and confused worker standing by the machines. Poor guy.

“We pass these flyers out quickly, we get paid, we get Jongho, and we come learn how these games work. We can’t let anyone else get that butterfly.”

  
  
Hongjoong didn’t seem happy about having to finish with the flyers, but they both knew the money meant playing the game. Getting the butterfly. And moving to the next world.

“Let’s hurry.”

\---

The place Felix and Seungmin called ‘Air BnB’ was nice. Jongho had taken Yeosang to the couch in the living room and had placed him and Hehetmon under one of the blankets that Felix had gotten from the closet in the hallway. It was quite a lot nicer and bigger than Jongho’s own house was. Everything was so… advanced here. It made his head spin. By the time he would get used to it, they’d hopefully be leaving. Maybe being here in Tokyo would help him get used to any other world that would be like it.

Felix and Seungmin had left in order to go to a ‘convenience store’ to get some drinks. Meaning that Jongho was finally alone again. He had used the bathroom to wash his hands, which had taken a little more time than he’d like to admit, and then he made his way back to the living room where Yeosang slept, sitting himself down right on the floor with his back to the front door.

“Hehetmon. Hehet? It’s okay. We’re alone here. I need to ask you something.” In a second the little being wriggled its way out of Yeosang’s deadweight arms, then floated over till it was sitting on Jongho’s lap. “Have you detected anything magical since we’ve been here? I know we haven’t moved very far, but even on the way here did you feel anything? Do you think the butterfly is close?”

  
  
“Butterfly is close! Butterfly is close! Hehet felt it when we were in the alley!” The alley? They had been that close the entire time?

“Was it in the alley?” The little creature shook its head. “But it was near the alley?” Now it was shaking its head very quickly. “Okay—that works, actually. That makes it easy. Did it… move? Can you feel if the magic was moving?”

  
  
“Not moving! Staying still!” Hehetmon bounced up until it was sitting on Jongho’s head now, little hands patting at his hair. “Really strong magic coming from the area around the alley! Where Joongie and Hwa went!”

Jongho was so focused on trying to decipher what Hehetmon was saying that he hadn’t heard the door click. The little creature must not have either, because they were both startled when Felix and his friends all returned.

“Oh my god, what is that?!” Hehetmon squeaked and jumped up, seeing the new people, and flew to hide under the blanket with Yeosang. Shit, oh no, shit—they saw him, they saw Hehetmon talk! “What—why was it making noise?! How did that thing move?!”

  
  
This new person was blond, wearing a white shirt, white beanie, and some black and white pants. As soon as he started yelling, another new person showed up. This one was dressed a lot like Seungmin, but his hooded shirt was gray, and his pants did have rips in them. His hair was a dark brown, a lot like Jongho’s own. These must be Jisung and Changbin. The others Felix had mentioned.

“What happened? Why are you yelling?” The blond one pointed at the very obvious Hehetmon sized lump under the blanket with Yeosang.

“That thing! That white thing of his was—that thing isn’t an animal! It isn’t human! It was flying and it went under the blanket!”

Jongho was silent with worry, trying to hold his hands up and explain, but was never given an opportunity to speak. In the meantime, Felix and Seungmin had come back in with the bags of their drinks in their hands.

“Hey, what’s going on in here? Why are you guys yelling at Jongho?” Felix took both of the bags and placed them on the counter, his eyes never leaving Jongho’s direction. As if watching him was going to protect him from something.

“Jisung said something weird and white was moving in that kid’s lap when he came in. Said it wasn’t human or an animal or anything.” Jongho assumed this one was Changbin. He gestured towards Jongho, a slightly stern look in his eye. He wondered if he was the oldest among them. “Look, kid, just explain what the hell that was. Felix didn’t say you had an animal with you. We can’t have animals in the BnB so just… tell us.”

  
  
“If anything goes wrong, Felix is the one who let them in.” That earned Felix’s elbow right into Seungmin’s side.

Jongho didn’t have a lie prepared. He hadn’t been expecting that he would need to, nor was he someone who actively did so. He sat there, mouth agape, watching all four pairs of eyes on him before he finally closed his mouth and nodded. He was caught.

“I… you won’t believe me? I don’t think so. But I’ll go ahead and tell you. Me and my friends are currently on a journey between worlds and dimensions to get Yeosang’s memories back. He isn’t awake right now because he needs the first one to repair his soul? My friends went to find work so they could buy us food and somewhere to stay while we look for the memory that’s here. It’s a butterfly? So, it’s hard to detect. But we have Hehetmon with us. He’s a creature that can open portals to other dimensions, translate language, and sense the magical signature the butterfly gives off. As soon as we get the butterfly from each world we can leave.”

Dead silence. The entire room was completely silent. Jisung was standing behind Changbin, Felix and Seungmin were still halfway in the kitchen, and Jongho was on the floor in front of them still. Just… watching. Waiting for someone to say absolutely anything to him. Changbin was the one who brought the silence by clearing his throat.

  
  
“… dude, are you having like, a mental breakdown? Are you and your friend on anything? I don’t want to sound rude, but he’s unconscious and you’re making no sense at all.”

  
  
“No! We’re fine—look, I can prove it. Hehet.” Jongho raised his hand to nudge at the blanket over where Hehetmon was hiding. “Come on, Hehet. It’s okay. They just want to see that you’re real. We have to prove to them we’re telling the truth, okay? So we can help Yeosang find his butterfly and wake up.”

All of the boys waited, nervous and uneasy, as the blanket didn’t move. Then suddenly, it began shifting, until Hehetmon’s little flowered head poked out from under the blanket.

Jisung pointed a finger from over Changbin’s shoulder.

“That’s the thing! That’s the thing I saw!”

  
“I thought it was just a toy… it was in Yeosang’s arms the entire time.” Felix seemed the most unafraid out of the bunch and was even making his way over to where Jongho sat. “Oh my god, that thing is alive? It’s real?”

Jongho nodded and helped Hehetmon out but kept him safe in his lap. “Yeah. He was keeping quiet since we didn’t think there was any magic in this world. We didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves or anything. It would make it harder to find the butterfly. I’m not putting Yeosang through more pain. Not again.”

  
  
The sincerity of his voice and words must have gotten through to them. Jisung had moved to stand beside of Changbin, Seungmin had walked over to Felix who had knelt down in front of Hehetmon and Jongho.

“Well, magic exists here, but… not this kind. More of a metaphorical kind, I guess.” Seungmin examined Hehetmon’s flower, looking like he wanted to touch it, but didn’t want to startle him. “You have to understand why it feels so weird to think about this all being true. It doesn’t exist here except in like, comics and movies.” Seungmin smiled, though. A very warm smile. Jongho appreciated it. “I’m kinda curious to see how he’d prove he was magical, though. Are your friends magic? Are you?”

  
  
“I’m not, no, no.” Jongho smiled politely and shook his head, perhaps even a little bashful. “I’m just human. Yeosang is too. Hongjoong, our leader, he’s a human. It’s Seonghwa that’s a mage. But I haven’t seen him do magic yet, now that I think about it.” Jongho hadn’t actually considered that he hadn’t seen Seonghwa do magic since he had brought himself to Wooyoung. That was an… interesting thought. “Hehetmon, why don’t you show them how you store stuff? Maybe one of the drinks?”

  
  
Changbin was the one who nodded and went to get a bottle of water from one of the bags. He went to toss it over to Jongho, but Hehetmon jumped up, his body stretching to accommodate how much his mouth opened. He swallowed it, and then landed back in Jongho’s lap.

“Okay, now give it back.”

  
  
Hehetmon did the same thing, stretching its body to widen its mouth, and reached its hand in until it produced the water bottle back to Jongho.

The room went wild.

“They’re magic! Felix, Seungmin, you found magical beings from _another world_!” Jisung was suddenly not afraid at all, rather he was having the time of his life it seemed. Jongho was happy for him? He was pretty sure he was happy for him.

  
  
“Hate to ruin the moment, but did you say butterflies?” Jongho nodded at Changbin. “Han, you remember the event going on at the arcade tomorrow that we saw posters for?”

  
  
“Oh, Butterfly Bonanza? Yeah, I saw— _wait_. Do you think maybe that butterfly thing they’re giving away tomorrow? Is maybe the one Jongho and his friends are looking for?”

  
  
While Changbin and Jisung spoke, Jongho could feel his heartbeat beginning to race. The butterfly. Had that arcade been close to the alley? It had to have been, that’s where Felix and Seungmin had found him, they had just left their friends at the arcade. Hehetmon had said he felt the magic near the alley. It had to be the butterfly. It was Yeosang’s first memory!

  
  
“Hehetmon said he felt the butterfly’s signature in the alley when Felix and Seungmin found us. That arcade is close, right? It has to be—that has to be it. What do I need to do to get that butterfly?” Jongho moved himself up off the floor, Hehetmon going back to cuddle Yeosang, placing himself in front of all four of the boys. “Please. I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back.”

Felix placed a hand on Jongho’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze before he turned to the other three. “Look, I don’t think we can teach him how to play a video game overnight so well that he wins an _entire competition_. Not saying we need to cheat, but we might need to cheat. We need a plan. We gotta help them.”

  
  
“We were planning to join for the fun of it anyways! Changbin isn’t the best at games, but I’m sure maybe with a little more practice we can do it, right?” Jisung was a good guy, wasn’t he? Jongho liked him. Reminded him of Wooyoung. “I’m pretty good at it. I played it a lot after school when I was younger. We can win it!”

  
  
Jongho was put at ease by Jisung’s enthusiasm, but Changbin seemed worried. Jongho felt an arm slip around his shoulders, turning to see Seungmin actually the one getting closer.

“Felix and I will go with you to find your friends. Changbin and Jisung can watch Yeosang for a little bit. You guys can stay the night with us if you want, and tomorrow we can go to the competition together. Changbin and Jisung are really strong when they put their minds to something. I trust that they can help you win. We’ll help you and your friends, I promise.”

  
  
Jongho wasn’t a super emotional person, he didn’t really like physical affection, but after the hell he had gone through for the past… he wasn’t even sure _how long_ … it was a nice reassurance.

\---

Hongjoong had been dead worried when they hadn’t found Jongho and Yeosang in the alley. They’d been paid a bit, enough to get some food and maybe find a room for the night, and once changed and out of the makeup they ran to find Jongho. But he hadn’t been there. He couldn’t have been too far since he and Seonghwa could still understand one another. Hongjoong had felt true, real fear in losing the boy. He had no idea where he could be.

While searching the area, Jongho and some strangers had found them. According to Jongho, it hadn’t been hard given their outfits and how loud Hongjoong was yelling his name.

The people were called Felix and Seungmin and Jongho explained how he not only let their secret out, but that them and their friends would help them with the arcade game so they could get Yeosang’s butterfly. Hongjoong had pouted quite a bit because he’d been excited to tell Yeosang about his discovery. Seonghwa patted him on the back anyways.

Now, they were at the place Felix and his friends were staying at and trying to explain what all was going on with each of them. Seonghwa had offered their money as a thank you for helping, getting food and drink, and letting them stay the night there with them. When Changbin wouldn’t take it, Seonghwa explained the next few worlds might not use the same currency, and he wanted to say thank you. Finally, the money was taken. Hongjoong admired Seonghwa’s gesture, though he was still mad at him.

“So, you really think you guys can win that entire competition? You really good at these arcade games?” The boys had ordered ‘pizza’ and fried chicken for them all. Hongjoong was in love with this world’s food. It was unlike anything he’d really had before. “I’m sure Jongho has gone into a speech about Yeosang getting it.”

  
  
Felix was sitting on the floor with Seungmin, jokingly feeding one another from the pieces of pizza in their hand, Jisung was looking up tricks about the game on his phone, so it was Changbin they had mostly been talking to. Jongho had eaten rather quickly so he could sit with Yeosang’s head on his lap on the couch.

“Between Han and I? Yeah, we can do it. Especially since we have a good reason to win now. I might not be the best, but the game wasn’t popular in Australia where Felix is from. And he’s the better gamer amongst us. Seungmin didn’t play it much either. But we can do it. I’m not worried.” Changbin finished his last piece of pizza, washing it down with something they called ‘Coke.’

“Why are you guys helping us? No offense, but you have no idea who we are. You know we have Hehetmon and what he can do, but how can you tell we’re not going to do something bad?” Hongjoong was a bit pessimistic, but only because he was distrusting to those who he didn’t know well.

“Oh, I can answer that!” Felix raised his hand like a kid in school, other hand occupied with chicken now. “It was Jongho. You can tell in his eyes, especially when he talks about Yeosang, that he’s a good kid. He’s serious. I’d trust him and I just _met_ him. Besides, what an adventure it’ll be. He said Yeosang will wake up when given the butterfly, right? I kinda want to meet the person that Jongho cares about so much.” Seungmin nodded along with Felix’s words, his mouth full of food.

Hongjoong wasn’t surprised that Jongho was what got them all to help. He was a genuinely really good kid. Hongjoong was also pretty excited to officially meet Yeosang, even if he might not wake up and be the same person Jongho knew and talked about. It would be good to have another person with them.

“Alright, well, let’s clean up and get ready for bed. We’ve got to be up early and down there to practice a little before the competition starts. There are more blankets and pillows in the hall closet. Sorry we don’t have more beds for you. But the shower and everything are yours to use. If you need help understanding any of the technology in here, just ask us.” Changbin stood up and used his foot to nudge Jisung. “You. Don’t stay up too late on your phone. We need to be well rested to play our best tomorrow.”

Jisung stood up and followed Changbin back through the apartment, leaving the youngest and Hongjoong’s crew to clean up. Given it was mostly empty bottles and boxes, it wasn’t hard to clean up.

“Jongho, are you sure you want to sleep on the couch with Yeosang? Even if he sleeps on top of you, it’s cramped…” Hongjoong returned to Seonghwa standing over where Jongho was getting himself and Yeosang situated on the couch, his mind clearly already made up.

“I’ll be fine. I feel better being close to him. Where I can protect him.” Hongjoong was sure the unsaid sentiment was that he also knew this would be the last time he could possibly ever hold Yeosang, given the circumstances. Seonghwa seemed to understand the implication as well, and just nodded and left him alone. “That’s fine. Hongjoong and I will sleep here on the floor.”

Hongjoong agreed to that. They’d all stay together for now. Felix and Seungmin helped them get their blankets and pillows in order, then they too went to get ready for bed.

Seonghwa had actually decided on taking a shower before he slept, Hongjoong deciding he would in the morning, so it left him to fall asleep alone in the living room. Jongho was out pretty quickly, his arms around Yeosang laying atop of him. Hehetmon was also laying on top of Yeosang, fast asleep as well.

Hongjoong took a moment to think about what in the hell he had gotten himself into with this journey and these people. He wondered what Yunho and Mingi were doing. He… missed his life quite a bit. Dammit, if he just kept his urges inside, hadn’t tried to become so strong by fighting, maybe he’d still be there. Maybe he wouldn’t have to deal with this.

Something deep inside of him felt happy knowing he was helping people, though. Helping Jongho, Yeosang, even whatever it was Seonghwa was about. He was helping. It felt… good. To help people again. To not focus on himself long enough to help.

Hongjoong fell asleep with that in mind, unaware to how Seonghwa had come to bed many, many hours later.

\---

It was finally time. Hongjoong had helped clean up the apartment that morning and gone down with everyone but Felix and Seungmin to the arcade. They opted to stay behind and watch Yeosang so Jongho didn’t have to carry him. Jongho would have stayed behind, but he had to make sure that Yeosang’s butterfly would be theirs. Hongjoong would have been the same way about Yunho.

The arcade was pretty crowded, even when they showed up to practice hours before the competition began. The snagged one of the machines, one of the ones not roped off for the actual competition, and Jongho and Hongjoong both watched in amazement at the game.

Changbin had tried explaining video games to them that morning when they were getting ready. The technology was very foreign, but he got the basis of it. Electronic screen, coding that made the game work, the buttons and sticks on the machine moved the characters, yeah, he got it. Mostly.

Apparently, the goal of the game was that you were a person trying to catch butterflies but had to be careful not to let various insects like bees sting you, or you lost a life. Apparently, you began with just a few lives and had to obtain lives by catching a lot of butterflies in each level. But with each level the bugs became stronger and more plentiful. It became harder and harder to catch them. If you didn’t catch any during a level, regardless of how many lives you had, your game was over. When you lost all your lives, your game was over.

Jongho had been quiet the entire morning. As had Seonghwa, actually. Seonghwa had stayed close to Jongho, not touching or consoling him, but allowing his close presence to be something to ease Jongho’s nerves. It was their first world and they hadn’t obtained a since butterfly yet. Of course, Jongho would be nervous. Hongjoong wasn’t sure how to comfort the boy, so he allowed himself to cheer on Changbin and Jisung as they practiced.

The competition began hours later. They had taken a break long enough to get a snack and something to drink before returning.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa both noted that the employee they had spoken to the night before was standing between the machines to make sure no one was cheating, other employees on either side of the machines doing the same thing.

The competition was… something. Everyone given a number so that when someone died on the machine, the next number could come up. The crowd was so dense with potential players that Seonghwa, Jongho, and Hongjoong had been forced back away from Changbin and Jisung. Jongho in particular didn’t seem to like that. He was fidgety. And Jongho was never fidgety.

“Hey, it’ll be fine. Trust Changbin and Jisung.” Hongjoong ruffled the slightly taller boy’s hair and patted him on the back. About as comforting as he had ever been. “Seonghwa, can you see above the crowd? Are they up?”

  
  
“I’m tall, but I’m not that tall. You two stay here, I’ll go see if I can get close.” Hongjoong nodded at the elder, and Jongho began wringing his hands together. Hongjoong felt bad for the kid. He was worried not just because the journey meant getting back home, getting that butterfly meant going on, but because it meant Jongho could finally wake Yeosang up again.

Jongho still wasn’t talking. He was staring straight ahead at the crowd, which was cheering loudly, making quite a bit of commentary noise on the entire thing, and Hongjoong just wished they could help more.

His heart dropped when he saw Seonghwa leaving the crowd with Jisung in tow. Jisung, who was supposed to be the better of the two

“It’s fine! It’s fine, I messed up, but Changbin is still going! He’s a machine when he puts his mind to it, don’t worry!” Jisung was trying to soothe Jongho as much as he was anyone else. Hongjoong could read in his movements that he was also anxious about the competition. “I’m going to run and get him a water; he’ll need to stay hydrated if he keeps going. Most of the guys are losing around level 12—but he’s still going!”

“I’m going to go back and make sure everything is alright. No one tries to make him lose or anything. I watched a number of people, like Jisung said, fail at the 12th level. They only let so many sign up this morning. I’m sure over half of them are gone now.” With that, Seonghwa and Jisung split, leaving Jongho and Hongjoong in the back alone again.

Jongho broke his gaze at the crowd long enough to look down at his hands. Hongjoong watched him out of the corner of his eye, knowing exactly what the kid was going through. Fear. Anxiety. Feeling like it was all his fault. The same feelings Hongjoong had gone through when he lost his mother and father. Jongho was someone with a heart of gold. Hongjoong barely knew him and he knew Jongho was the best of all of them.

Jongho was using his frustration to fight for what was right. To help others instead of just himself. Dammit. They were two sides of the same coin, weren’t they? How was this kid more mature than he was? Had Yunho known he was going to go on a jouney with a kid like Jongho?

  
  
“… Hyung. Do you think Changbin is really going to win?” Jongho hadn’t called him something so… personal before. Hongjoong turned to full look at the boy still gazing down at his hands, his shock fading into pity as his hand moved to rest on Jongho’s shoulder.

“Trust Changbin’s abilities. If he keeps going like Jisung and Seonghwa said he was, if people keep reaching that level and falling off, Changbin is doing pretty damn well. Give him time. Might take a while, but everything is going to work out. Just give him space and let him work.”

Jongho nodded and Hongjoong looked out the doors to see if Seonghwa and Jisung were somehow back yet. He was bad at comforting people. Seonghwa was better at it, he just—he just knew what to do with people. He was personable, even if it was fake.

Hongjoong just had to trust in his own advice right now.

\---

The competition went on for hours. The crowd had thinned, and they were able to get closer, Changbin pressing on, but even Changbin had lost eventually. But he had the highest score. The last few contestants were up playing, but now they were all concerned with who of the last little bit might beat Changbin’s score.

Changbin and Jisung were both sitting against one of the walls facing the machines, Jongho and Seonghwa never left where the Butterfly Bonanza machines were. They were carefully watching the score and letting the two players rest. Hongjoong had awkwardly hung back with them. Jisung was going on and on about how cool Changbin had been, also making fun of the serious face he had been making while playing. Changbin just downed his water and shoved at Jisung’s shoulder.

“Okay! Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes today’s competition! Our workers have diligently watched the scores and we’re all going to quickly confer before announcing today’s highest score winner and the winner of the Butterfly Bonanza prop!”

Jongho and Seonghwa came back to the other three while the rest of the crowd murmured amongst themselves about who might be the winner. Jongho looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin, but Seonghwa had a steady hand pressed to his back.

“I might throw up, Changbin. I _seriously_ might throw up.”

  
  
“If anyone deserves to throw up right now it’s Jongho.”

  
  
“Not helping.” Jongho murmured under his breath. “I don’t know what I’m going to do if Changbin didn’t win. Beg the person for the butterfly? Beat them up for the butterfly?”

  
“We’re not going to beat anyone up, Jongho.” Seonghwa shook his head, ever a mother figure, and removed his hand from the boy’s back. “I think he’s going to win. He’s the only one who made it to level 18. Probably means he got the highest score.”

The workers returned from their little meeting and, there in one of their hands, in a glass shadowbox, was the butterfly.

“That’s—that’s the _same_ butterfly. Like the ones that left Yeosang in the temple. That’s it!” Hongjoong moved his arm swiftly up to block Jongho from running to grab it. Jongho just curled his fingers into Hongjoong’s cloak. “We actually did it. That’s the butterfly.”

The workers began announcing the third-place winner and the second-place winner, and Jongho’s fingers curled until his knuckles were white into Hongjoong’s cloak.

  
  
“And our first-place winner…. Number 17, _Seo Changbin_!”

  
  
Time felt like it stood still. The room clapped and cheered for Changbin, Jisung jumped up and down for him, but Jongho stood completely still. He’d done it. Changbin had actually won the game. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were at each of his sides, shaking him, both actually genuinely excited as Changbin hurried up to get the butterfly. He posed for one quick picture before hurrying back to hand the shadow box to Jongho.

It was time. It was time to wake Yeosang up.

\---

Jongho’s legs were burning by the time they made it back to the Air BnB the boys were staying in. Jongho had gone in a dead sprint to the apartment the second he got the butterfly back. He didn’t care if Yeosang didn’t remember him. He wanted to hear his voice, see his smile, have Yeosang alive and next to him again.

Felix and Seungmin met them at the door, wishing to celebrate with them for the work they had done, but Jongho just forced himself forward and went right to his sleeping prince. Hehetmon moved to sit on top of the couch while Jongho quite literally broke the sides of the box open with his bare hands.

“He mentioned to us when we met that he could break apples with his bare hands. Asked to see it to see if he was telling the truth, but you know what? Think the kid is telling the truth.” Hongjoong and Seonghwa were the two closest to Jongho now, at his side like they had been before, while the other boys were behind the couch and looking down at the scene, still unsure as to what might happen.

“Time to get him back.” Jongho gently lifted the butterfly from the box, and, ever so slightly, he moved the butterfly to rest atop of Yeosang’s chest.

And then it disappeared.

Well, more like it was absorbed. Yeosang’s body seemed to warp and glitch for a moment around the butterfly, like the ripples a stone made when dropped into a pond, and then it was absorbed back into his body. Jongho watched as life finally returned to his prince. His cheeks flushed pink, his hair seemed to glow, and the blue tint on his lips faded to pink again. Yeosang was alive—Yeosang was actually going to be alright.

When Yeosang finally opened his eyes again, he was groggy, slow, and brought his hands up to rub at his eyes. He stumbled a little as he forced himself to sit up, but Jongho was there to steady him and help him to sit up completely. It was then that the prince looked around, incredibly confused.

“Who… are all of you?” Yeosang. It was his voice, it was… it was _him_. Jongho stared, awestruck at him, and everyone could see the way relief washed over Jongho’s once very tense body. “Where am I?”  
  
Seonghwa stepped forward and knelt down beside where Jongho was, taking one of Yeosang’s hands into his own. “Hello, Prince Yeosang. My name is Seonghwa. We’ve never met, but I’ve been with you for a little while now. Can you tell me the last thing you remember? You don’t have to tell me much, and please don’t try too hard or you might pass out again.”

Yeosang seemed apprehensive about the people around him but nodded his head slowly and closed his eyes. “I… know my name is Yeosang. I’m a prince from Anthina. My brother Yongsun is king and Jaejin is his advisor. Um. I think I’m about to turn 22? I remember what Anthina looks like, but… specifics are hazy. Why is everything so hazy?”

  
  
Seonghwa looked to Jongho for confirmation on what Yeosang had said, to which Jongho merely nodded. Everything he remembered was true.

“Because something bad happened. We’re not quite sure what happened, but we know you lost all of your memories. You were taken to someone named Wooyoung who told us we have to go on a journey around different worlds to find them. They look like butterflies. Changbin, Jisung, Felix, and Seungmin here are from this world. They helped us get the butterfly that woke you up again.” Seonghwa pointed to the group of boys gaping and grinning at Yeosang. The boy just flushed and looked down.

“Yeosang, this is Hongjoong.” He motioned towards where Hongjoong stood behind where Jongho sat on the floor. “He’s helping us get your memories too. He’s journeying to get home, so he’s helping us on the way. And this is Jongho. Jongho is the one who found you and brought you to the people he knew could help you.”

  
  
Yeosang’s eyes met Jongho’s own, and for a moment he thought maybe Yeosang remembered because of just how long those honey eyes were staring at him. But instead of a smile of recognition, Jongho was given a sad shake of his head.

“I’m sorry, Jongho. I don’t… remember anything about you. You don’t seem familiar to me right now.”

Jongho knew that was the answer he would be given. He’d given up those memories. But it was alright. Because Yeosang was awake, alive, and with him again. He’d spend his time by Yeosang’s side and make new memories for him. He would be there for the prince no matter what.

“It’s alright, Yeosang.” Jongho gave him a sad, albeit fond, little smile. “I’m just happy to see you awake and talking again.”

  
  
Something did flicker past Yeosang’s eyes. It wasn’t recognition, it wasn’t anything like that, but it was something like gratitude. That someone he couldn’t even remember would be going through so much to get his memories back and make him happy again.

“Yeosang’s awake, Yeosang’s awake!” Hehetmon finally bounced down into Yeosang’s lap, hugging its little arms to Yeosang’s shirt as it nuzzled its head into his chest. Yeosang was taken aback for a second, but just laughed low under his breath and patted its head. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you either, little guy.”

  
  
“This is Hehetmon. He’s our magic little companion that helps us travel between worlds. He can also send things between worlds he’s translating our words for us using magic too. He’s quite the little guy.” Seonghwa’s smile when he looked at Yeosang was small, but genuine. A relieved little smile. Jongho was… glad Seonghwa was good at this. Because he felt like he couldn’t even begin to speak right now.

“Hehetmon. He’s cute. It’s nice to meet you.” Yeosang smiled and shook the little creature’s hand. He looked up at the other four boys who were really just trying to take in everything they had seen in the past 24 hours. “It’s nice meeting you too. I don’t think I need to worry about not knowing who you are?”

  
  
“Nah, mate. I’m Felix. This is Seungmin.” Seungmin gave a little wave and offered his hand to shake Yeosang’s.

“First time we’ve met a prince.” Yeosang shook Seungmin’s hand with a little laugh. He was bashful. God, Jongho had missed him.

“Please, you don’t have to call me ‘prince’ or anything. I’m just a person, I swear.”

“I’m Jisung! Changbin over here won your butterfly from the arcade today!”

  
  
While Jisung started going into the story about how it had all happened, Jongho felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned to see Seonghwa and Hongjoong both motioning from him to follow them into the kitchen. He got up and looked to make sure Yeosang was okay, he of course was, and then walked over to his companions.

“He’s sweet, Jongho.” Seonghwa smiled and leaned against the counter, arms folded over his chest. “ _Timid_ , but he just woke up in a strange world with no one he knows. But he’s kind even though he’s maybe a little scared.”  
  


Jongho nodded in agreement, his eyes still lingering on Yeosang in the living room. “It’s hard. It’s hard right now. But I’m so fucking _glad_ he’s awake.”

  
  
“I’ll let that one slip for now. In celebration.”

  
  
“Thanks, mom.”

  
  
Hongjoong rolled his eyes and kept himself a few feet away, leaning against the refrigerator. “Well, one world down. At least we know we can somewhat work as a team now. We need to keep moving. Give Yeosang another minute or two to wake up, but then we’ve got to go.”

“You know, you never told me what you guys did for a job.” Jongho was the one to smirk a little this time. “Actually, ever since you worked together, you haven’t fought as much.”

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at the younger boy, a finger moving to point right at Jongho’s chest. “You’re pushing your luck. I’d rather walk through hellfire for a thousand years straight before I tell you what we did.”

  
“Hongjoong had to wear makeup.”

  
  
“As if you didn’t _also_ wear makeup!”

Seonghwa laughed as Hongjoong raged on, and for a second, Jongho felt at peace again. As much as he wanted to bask in the feeling of comfort, Hongjoong was right. They needed to keep going. The more butterflies they collected, the more Yeosang would feel comfortable. The more memories, the more like himself he would feel.

“Okay. I think it’s time we head out. We don’t know what’s coming, right? Might as well face it head one.” Jongho gave the other two a nod, who returned it, and they all returned to the living room so they could grab their cloaks and bags.

“I think it’s about time we head out. Unfortunately, we’ve got a lot of worlds to see. Time sadly isn’t on our side.” Seonghwa helped Yeosang up off the couch and even produced a white cloak, similar to his own, that he had snagged from Wooyoung out of his bag. “Didn’t want you to feel left out when you woke up.”

  
  
“Thank you. I appreciate you guys thinking of me.” Yeosang kept close to Seonghwa when the group gathered in the middle of the living room but scooched over a little, just so he was close to Jongho as well.

“If you guys ever find yourselves back here, find us, yeah? We won’t ever leave you behind.” Felix wrapped an arm around Seungmin’s shoulders about the time Changbin and Jisung stepped forward as well.

“We owe you guys a lot. Yeosang wouldn’t be up and moving right now if it weren’t for you.”

  
  
“Nah.” Changbin waved his hand at Seonghwa. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, it’s an amazing story for us all. Not something we’re ever going to forget. Jisung and I are getting into the songwriting business, it’s given us a few ideas. Think we’ll be able to make something really amazing with this experience.” To emphasize his point, Changbin just fist bumped Jisung next to him.

“Regardless, thank you. Maybe we’ll find a way to repay you with something. We’ve got ways to send packages across the universe.” Jongho smiled and waved at them, a hand clutched the front of his cloak over his chest. “Bye, guys. It was amazing to meet you. Hehetmon, are you ready?”

The little white creature bounced up in front of them, opening its sharp eyes, the flower above its head twirling as it let out a familiar “Kyu!” Before the portal opened up beneath of them. The four boys waved goodbye to their mysterious, magical new friends, who returned the waves goodbye. The tendrils of dark, smoky magic twisted up, swallowing them whole in the blink of an eye, leaving their new friends dumbfounded in their living room.

With that, the crew’s adventure had truly started, and they were off to new worlds.


	4. Interlude: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Welcome to the interludes!
> 
> There are only 3, they're a little short, but they serve as almost the background for what is going on while the group journeys. And they provide vital information for those involved! These interludes work as the conflict that will crash with the main story soon. 
> 
> They'll be uploaded in the same week as normal chapters, so there will be a new chapter still on Mondays.
> 
> Enjoy reading! Thank you so much for reading, as always!!

** Enter: a room between worlds. **

There is no discernable window or door to be found in this room. This room is dark, almost entirely black, but there is a dim light in the center that shows the room is a deep red, occupied by no furniture, no decorations. The very light source that shows this cannot be found.

The room does not obey the basic laws of the universe. It is large, seeming to go on forever. Because of the darkness, it could possibly be an entire world all to itself. There is no sound, not even a hum that would suggest the absence of sound. The surrounding area of the room is a black hole, sucking in all light and sound from around it.

** Enter: the room’s only occupant. **

There is a throne in the center of this room where the only light shines. The throne is situated on stairs so high that the light does not reach the very top of the throne. The stairs, the throne itself, all echoes the same deep red around it. The back of the throne is sharp, jutting upwards into the black abyss above, sticking out in all directions like broken glass. Its red is slightly darker on the outer edges but is the same as the rest.

A man is sitting on the throne, solitary, with his hands folded into his lap. Though his face cannot be seen in the darkness, his robe can. The robe is long, thick, black with intricate golden patterns sewn into it. The patterns make no sense at first glance, but they have all been mathematically placed, a pattern that seems to be growing and _moving_. They are telling a story that is still unfolding.

There are tassels of purple and gold that gathered around the man’s hands, attached to the sleeves, that matches ones at the end of his robe. The robe was long, tumbling down the long staircase below, till it nearly touched the floor below.

In front of the man’s eyes, a few feet away, is a magical screen. Though the light from the screen does not meet the man’s eyes, does not _illuminate_ them, it is clear from the atmosphere of the room that the man is pondering the scenes before him. If there is sound to be heard, the sound is lost to all but the single viewer.

It is a most disturbing scene. It is a room those from any world would consider torture. The type of room that gives the feeling of _fear_. Of being alone, of wishing to see, hear, to use _any_ of one’s senses. Senses do not matter in this room. The only ones who enter this room have no use for such things. Why does one need to feel, when feelings and senses only hindered the soul?

Much time has passed since the occupant has begun watching the screen in front of him. But who is to know, when time does not exist in this space? To say time existed here would assume that there is only one timeline, and that this room has followed that timeline precisely. If time were such a linear thing that was fixed upon every world, onto every outcome, perhaps time would exist in the room between worlds. There are so many timelines to be found, so many possible outcomes to each and every decision, it would be foolish to assume time was such a linear thing.

Different worlds used the ability to ‘map’ time in order to keep themselves sane. Such structure worked for those for whom time was short. Time was to be given structure in order to better preserve history, for books to be written that gave exact time from those who had been alive for it, but not for much long after. For those whom time is an almost a nonessential thing, dispensable, time was often all but forgotten in favor of experience.

The man continues on for what must be hours or days, in the same position, never moving and never sleeping. But who is to say? Time does not exist. And he is alone.

** Enter: Her **

There is a sudden movement from the man on the throne. Suddenly, his hand is raised, and the screen has disappeared. With his hand still raised, there is a sudden snapping sound. The loudness of it, reverberating through this room, might suggest that there are walls. A ceiling, perhaps. But that would once more suggest that this room follows the universal laws that have been placed into books by those who consider time a necessary factor in all things concrete, instead of seeing time as something to bend, morph, and rule over.

Suddenly, there is a woman’s heels clacking on the floor. Had the floor ever appeared hard? Soft? Like the rest of the room, the material is unidentifiable to any normal person. The noise suggests structure, but that has yet to be seen.

She is tall, thin, wearing a robe similar to the man on the throne. Though hers lacks the golden, intertwining designs like the man’s. Her skin is so pale it almost appears translucent, her eyes entirely black, her black hair in a ponytail, and her lips and nails a red that matches the room. She carries in her hands a small wooden tray that has a teapot, a cup, a bowl of sugar, and a small pitcher of milk.

The woman walked from the darkness, no sound of a door opening, no light signaling she may have come from another room. It was as though one moment she was not there, and the next she had slowly faded into place.

There is another snap of the man’s fingers. Suddenly, the light in the room begins to grow slightly brighter but begins to encompass more of the room. However, the black only grows around the edges. One would maybe believe with the light growing, it would show more of the room. There is only more red. There is only more darkness.

With the light growing, the man can be seen.

He is young, younger than one might have imagined he would look. His hair is as black as the area around him, to his shoulders, his face round with only the faintest of lines under his eyes and around his nose. His eyes are dark, hardened by time, and his expression completely neutral. He appears to have been deep in concentration for some time but has brought himself out of it by summoning the woman and her tray. The man makes no sound but beckons her with his pale fingers to come to where he is on his throne.

The woman almost floats her way to the top of the throne. The tray and tea set are perfectly balanced, never shaking, almost as though her body weighs nothing as she walked up the stairs.

“Here is your tea, sir.” The woman’s voice was like the flatline of a heart monitor: neutral, loud, and invoked a sense of unease. As if her voice was baselined, with no emotion, no inclination for anything else. Flat. “The journey has begun.”

The man said nothing, only began mixing his tea the way he wanted it. A little sugar, a little milk, nothing more. With his work done he sat back, warm cup in hand. The woman did not budge in front of him, nor did she press him for anything else. Her black eyes stared blankly at the throne behind the man’s head. She had not once made eye contact with him.

“Indeed, it has. I have been watching.” The man took a sip of his tea and brought up the screen again. This time, the screen was close by them, where both of them could see it. The light did illuminate them both this time. The man looked over and watched the figures move, blissfully unaware of their situation. It was not an entirely wonderful way to watch them, through another’s eyes, but it would suffice for now.

“They have traveled to many worlds, thus far. They are making better time than I could have imagined.”

The worlds had included modern Tokyo, a world of fog that had to be navigated by sound, a world of caves and gems, a world without color, and a world filled with butterflies. Among a few others that had not contained butterflies, which they promptly left without much exploring. The man had sat himself down and watched every single second of the journey thus far.

“It’s boring, really. Repetitive. They seek the butterfly, they argue, they reconcile, they move on. Such a tedious thing for me to watch.”

The man raised a hand so to flicker through the scenes of the journey, seeming to lose himself in examining the details. The man sipped at his tea, ignoring his guest for an unseen amount of time. Until his tea was done, then he turned and began preparing himself another cup. The same as he had done before. The same as he always did.

“Have you spoken to the witch?” The woman asked a question but due to her baselined voice, it came out like a statement. The man ignored her until he was finished stirring his tea the way he wanted it.

“Wooyoung? I haven’t spoken to Wooyoung in a very long time. He has not heard from me since we parted ways.” That had been thousands of years before, but he did not operate in time. Wooyoung only did due to the physical location of his shop. Even then that shop wasn’t technically there. Regardless, the details did not matter. “I’m sure he wishes to speak to me. But that is one wish he will not see granted.”

  
“Do you still fear he has betrayed you?” Ah, quite the question. The man sat back against the throne; his dull eyes trained on the paused scene before him. Betrayal was quite the word to use. It actually made him sit and ponder it. This was why he enjoyed having this one company around. Because she would at least give thought provoking questions to him. And if he didn’t like what she said, he could simply change her again.

“Betray, no. Because it no longer matters even if he did. Everything has been started. The ball is rolling quickly now. Unlike last time. Wooyoung can no longer interfere with the journey to change its outcome. Perhaps there will be bumps in the road. But Wooyoung can be dealt with by me and me alone.”

The man raised a pale hand, long fingers snapping once more. In an instant, the woman turned herself around, and began her descent down the stairs. In an instant, when her body touched the inky blackness of the edge of the room, she faded much like she had done when she appeared. Leaving the man alone again, in the silence of the room.

** Exit: Her **

The man pondered for a moment. Had Wooyoung betrayed him before the journey had begun? There was no possible way. Every piece of the puzzle was a piece he had personally picked out, changing and altering pasts to make sure the future for this journey was exactly the way he wanted. There were factors he could not have thought of, yes, but everything had been carefully fixed this time. Wooyoung could not have changed anything.

Wooyoung had to remember his place. He was not as powerful as he made himself out to be. Surely, he remembered what happened all those years ago. What he had done to Wooyoung, that the very life he lived was because of him. He had seen the shop Wooyoung worked out of. He had seen it recently, in fact. He had seen the boy he had taken in and he saw how happy and carefree Wooyoung was being. Maybe it’s because he knew time was short.

Things weren’t going entirely to plan, but the details were so small he could almost overlook them. So long as the journey was completed, he didn’t care. The point was the journey, not the “going ons” of the group.

The fighter was more of a pain than he would have expected, but that was nothing that mattered so long as he stayed journeying. The youngest being in love with the prince was expected, it had been last time, but there was a ferocity growing inside of him he hadn’t expected. The prince was as one would expect for someone who had no memories. The biggest concern was the mage, who had been refusing to use his magic.

He was aware that the mage was going to live quite the interesting life, but he hadn’t expected for it to fundamentally change the mage to a point where magic wouldn’t be used. That would cause issues if they were caught and needed a way out. If they got stuck and the mage didn’t use his magic, it meant having to start over. And he would be damned if he let a petty child get in the way when so much had already been accomplished.

The man pondered that thought as he scrolled through the screen once more, watching as the group was about to leave for their next world. Maybe the mage would eventually need a push to be forced to use it. He didn’t like that. Why couldn’t the pawns just move themselves and act accordingly? Why must everyone make things difficult?

The man’s eye twitched as a scowl took over his once neutral face. He was going to get his wish granted if he had to redo it a thousand times. He had the time, he had the resources, and he simply didn’t care what it took for him to get what he wanted.

It was maddening to think he couldn’t simply control where they would journey and when. Maddening that he couldn’t just implement what he wanted. He hated the rules of dimensional wishing. But when his wish was granted, it wouldn’t matter anymore. He’d never have to deal with it again.

The man angrily swiped the screen away and sat in the deafening silence of his room between worlds.

Wooyoung would listen and would not interfere. He had ways of making that boy’s new toy disappear as quickly as he came. Wooyoung knew where his existence stood with him. What he could do to him. That he would keep him around as long as he needed to.

The man snapped his fingers again, the woman from before appearing at the base of his throne. Gone one second, there the next.

“Perhaps you bring up a good point about Wooyoung. Bring me my book. Perhaps it’s time I visit an old friend.”  
  
  
  
“Yes, Eden.”


	5. World: Giverny Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the next world! It's a little long, but I didn't want to skim over too much!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! More notes will be at the end!

~xXx~

"Welcome to Giverny Town, where you can create the life you’ve always wanted! New Players, please come to the café and select your names and occupations!”

Yeosang was slowly getting used to this… journey. They had been to a few now, he had regained more memories, and he was starting to feel more like himself. Yeosang could remember his country more clearly now, but still hadn’t regained his memories of Jongho.

He tried to, but… nothing. And he could see in the boy’s eyes the sadness mentioning it brought, and so he stopped talking about it by their third world. Seonghwa had told him before not to focus too heavily on remembering, and instead focus on living and making new memories. He liked Seonghwa a lot, actually.

This new world he liked more than the others. The others had been closer to what he knew as home, somewhere less advanced than Tokyo was, but their landscapes had left a lot to be desired. Like the fog world they had been to where Yeosang had clung onto Seonghwa’s sleeve the entire time. He had been told Seonghwa was a mage, but he hadn’t done anything that would suggest it. His knowledge of magic was astounding, though, and Yeosang really had no reason to think Seonghwa was lying.

Seonghwa was nice. Jongho was nice. Hongjoong cared, he was just less ‘soft’ when showing it. But he was strong, a sturdiness and a constant assurance that Yeosang needed. Hongjoong was headstrong. He made Yeosang truly believe everything was going to be alright. With every world, Yeosang noticed Hongjoong spoke less about how much he wanted to go home. It was like a flip had switched, according to Seonghwa, and now he was more focused than ever on the journey. That it had occurred after Yeosang woke up.

“Alright, let’s go.” Hongjoong rallied them together and led them inside a sweet little café on the cobblestone path before them.

The entire town, from what Yeosang could see, was pleasant. Wooden buildings, flowers, the sounds of birds and the rustling wind, and the warmth of a constant springtime sun. Yeosang really, really liked it. He looked around as much as he could before they were ushered into the little café.

The inside was just as pleasant as the outside. Big windows with flowing white curtains, the smell of coffee and pastries, and the prettiest tables and chairs. In the corner there was even a piano and a stage. Yeosang wondered what kinds of people would perform on those stages.

“Welcome!” The person behind the counter was—Seungmin. The crew learned in their second world that the same people existed in multiple worlds, all sharing the same souls, but would never meet other pieces of themselves. Yeosang wondered if he would ever meet himself. Seonghwa had mentioned the possibilities of them meeting themselves would be slim. This was the first time they had seen Seungmin since Tokyo, but they had seen Felix and Changbin in their second world. “Please, come register your name for Giverny Town and select your occupation so you can begin earning money.”

Before Hongjoong could go and register them, Seonghwa quickly pushed in and took the clipboard from the chestnut-haired boy who only smiled and watched them.

“Alright, I’ll put our names down…” Seonghwa quickly wrote something, then began filtering through the list of jobs on the other pages. Yeosang watched as Seonghwa furrowed his eyebrows but moved whenever Hongjoong got near him.

“Seriously, let me see the list. What, am I suddenly not allowed to choose my own job?” Seonghwa shook his head at their leader, keeping the clipboard close to his chest as he turned to look at the boy behind the counter.

“I’m curious about something. Most of these jobs are fine and normal enough for such a town, but why is ‘demon hunter’ and ‘adventurer’ on here?” Seungmin only smiled at Seonghwa and gestured towards the world outside the café’s windows.

“Giverny Town is a wonderful and peaceful town where you can live your life simply, but beyond the town is a forest where demons can be fought for money! There is, as well, an Oracle up in the mountains that can tell prophesies for those who wish for a little more adventure! Adventuring means a lot less money unless a rare item is stumbled across. We can offer adventuring as a side-quest for those who wish to obtain more money!”

Yeosang was unsure what it was, but something seemed off about this world. It was real, right? It felt real, looked real, nothing was… off. But something felt unsettling in his heart about it. For now, he would keep quiet, but he was wondering if anyone else felt it.

Actually, _he didn’t remember how they got to this world at all_.

Seonghwa nodded and stepped back to give them all a look over before writing something and turning to where Hongjoong was leaning on the counter.

“I assumed demon hunter for you, Hongjoong?” The leader nodded, a smirk spreading from the corner of his mouth. “Of course. Yeosang, do you want to stay with me and help run the café?”

Oh, actually, that worked a lot better than anything else Yeosang had thought of. He liked the calm atmosphere of the café more than he liked the constant fighting and running they had done before. Yeosang nodded silently, and Seonghwa marked that down.

“Jongho? I assumed adventurer, but I didn’t want to force you into something you didn’t want.”

Yeosang turned to where Jongho was standing behind them all, hands folded in front of him. He had been quiet since the last world, the one that had been filled with butterflies. It had been emotionally taxing on them all to constantly look for the butterfly amongst a million that were similar, but in the end, it had been Hehetmon who had figured out a way to pinpoint just which butterfly gave off a different magical signature.

“Actually, can I fight demons with hyung? I think I would be better suited to help with that than to run off on my own in the mountains.” Yeosang admired Jongho. Why was he so selfless all the time? From what he had been told, Jongho liked exploring and learning new things, adventuring would have been perfect for him. But he was giving that up just to help them earn more money?

Jongho moved to walk up next to Hongjoong, a hand coming up to rest on the shorter man’s shoulder. “I… might need you to help me learn to swordfight. I’m pretty strong, but I’ve never actually been trained to fight.” Jongho turned to the man behind the counter. “Do you guys sell swords?”

Seungmin nodded and motioned towards the clipboard Seonghwa was holding. “There’s a paper where you can pre-order an item you might need. However, you cannot progress further without paying it off first.”

Seonghwa looked over the papers until he found what Seungmin was talking about, and checkmarked something before handing the clipboard over. Seungmin thanked him, then went back through a door leading to the back of the café, leaving the group to themselves.

“Alright, Jongho and Hongjoong will fight demons and make some money, Yeosang and I will work inside the café. You guys get intel outside, and we will inside.” Seonghwa walked up and placed his hand on Yeosang’s back, giving it a soothing rub before taking it back. Seonghwa had quickly picked up on how much affection to give him and when. It was… nice. Yeosang looked over in time to see Jongho turn his head.

“There’s a butterfly here!” Hehetmon poked its head out of the pack Yeosang had been carrying since the gem covered world, floating itself up until it was on Yeosang’s shoulder. “I can’t feel where, but it’s here!”

Hongjoong nodded, his eyes downcast to the floor in thought. “Means splitting up will be a good idea. Jongho and I will see if we hear anything out in the forest, maybe talk to a few people. You guys stay in here and see if you hear any gossip. Maybe we can figure out where it is then.”

All of them nodded at their leader’s words. Seungmin returned a moment later with a sheathed sword in one hand, and a piece of paper in the other.

“Alright, here is your sword, and here is the receipt. If you all wish to stay in the apartments above the café, we can take a little out of all of your money, or the wages of one person entirely.”

Yeosang raised his hand before anyone could speak, startling the other members of his party.

“I’ve been more of a burden than a help lately, so I’ll offer my wages up so we can stay here.” Jongho opened his mouth to say something, but Hongjoong placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

“If that’s what you want, Yeosang. Sure.” Yeosang nodded his head at their leader, and Hongjoong reached for the sheathed sword and handed it over to Jongho. By now the sun was beginning to set, meaning there would be more dangers out in the world for them to fight. “Alright. No reason to waste time. We’ll go ahead out tonight for a little bit and get a feel for the area.”

Yeosang wished he could have said something to Jongho to quell the worries that he saw in the boy’s eyes. He hated that he was bringing so much distress to Jongho. If he could just remember him, wouldn’t that solve everything?

Once Hongjoong and Jongho were out the door, Seonghwa stepped up and wrapped an arm around Yeosang’s shoulders.

“I don’t know what to say to him, hyung.” Seonghwa nodded his head in silence, his hand leaving Yeosang’s shoulder to ruffle the back of his hair.

“Just be yourself, Sangie. I know it’s hard. It’s hard for the both of you. Even if you can’t remember him, isn’t it important to make good memories now? Good memories of this journey together?”

  
Maybe it was. Jongho wasn’t forcing himself and those memories on him, so Yeosang could tell he actually genuinely cared about him. That he was sacrificing so much just to try and get Yeosang’s memories back. He didn’t have to do that—none of them did. But Jongho had chosen to. Yeosang owed him good memories, right?

“How do I do that for him if I find it hard to even talk to him?”

Seonghwa was quiet again. Yeosang just appreciated having someone there to listen to him, make him feel like he was just a normal person. Made him feel like he wasn’t lacking in anything.

“Hmm. Maybe when they come back later, you can make Jongho something tasty to snack on? He doesn’t like anything too sweet, so something nice and savory would be good. How about we see if Seungmin will let us into the kitchen to try making something.”

“Yeah… yeah, I like that. Let’s do that.”

\---

“Hyung? Why did you stop me back there?” Jongho was just going to offer his own wages up for them to stay instead of Yeosang, but Hongjoong had surprised him and kept him from saying anything.

“Because, Jongho. I know you’re trying to keep Yeosang safe and comfortable, but you can’t baby him forever. He’s still a person, just lacking a few memories. He wants to help and feel like he’s part of this group. He has nothing and no one right now other than us and this journey. He’s feeling like a burden because you haven’t let him prove himself yet. He just wants to prove he can help out. Not that I think he’s mad at you or annoyed, no, he understands. Maybe he’s trying to assure _you_ that he’s fine more than he is Seonghwa or I.”

Jongho knew that. Of course, he knew that. He had never meant to make Yeosang feel weak or useless. He… yeah, he had just tried to make Yeosang’s life as easy as it could be, even if it meant taking on too much work to keep Yeosang from doing any of it. Jongho knew this wasn’t his Yeosang. It was, but he wasn’t a part of him anymore. He had to let Yeosang be the person he was. He had to let it go.

“I know. It’s just… hard. I feel terrible. Have I really been treating him badly? Making him think bad of himself?” Jongho fiddled with the handle of the sword where he had placed it on his side, much like Hongjoong wore his. They were aimlessly walking down the path towards where the line of trees began, marking the entrance to the forest.

“Jongho, you barely speak to him. If he tries to carry something, you just awkwardly take it and walk off.” Hongjoong snorted a laugh, making the younger groan.

“I don’t know _how_ to talk to him.”

“Because you feel guilty, right?”

Jongho didn’t say anything to that. Just kept his head down and ran a hand through the front of his hair.

“Jongho, you’re not the reason that he lost his memories. But you _are_ the reason he’s getting them back. He appreciates that. It’s clear he does. But he doesn’t know how to tell you because you’re being just as closed off. You talked a _lot_ in Tokyo before he woke up. You were so adamant about getting his memories back you threatened to beat up that arcade worker.”

Jongho laughed a little, ashamed, but mostly bashful. “Please don’t remind me of that. I think I scared Jisung.”

“Nah, I’m going to mention it. Because _that’s_ the Jongho that Yeosang needs right now. The Jongho that’s bright and happy. The one he can rely on without worrying that he’s bothering you.”

Hongjoong really was a good leader. He noticed little things that Jongho would have never seen otherwise. Actually, Jongho thought Yeosang was afraid of him, not that he’d been wanting to talk to him. He had been afraid he was a reminder of what Yeosang had lost. He hadn’t seen that being wary around him had actually made Yeosang feel that way.

“Do you know why Yeosang clings to Seonghwa? Because Seonghwa is sturdy, but more personable than I am. Seonghwa treats him like anyone else but knows when to get close or push a little more because he’s spent time with Yeosang and knows when the boy needs it. He’s his friend. You could be that too. Or more. You just have to talk to him."

When they reached the edge of the forest, Jongho stopped before stepping onto the grass. His hand at this point was gripping hard on the handle of the sword, like it was something keeping him grounded.

“How do I talk to him after all this time? Before, Yeosang was the one who approached me when we met. _He’s_ the one who clung onto _me_ and made _me_ come closer.” Wait. Had he been subconsciously waiting for Yeosang to approach him all along? Because he had been the one to do it the first time?

“He’s not entirely the same prince you knew, no. Because he doesn’t have all of his memories. But he’s still your Yeosang. He’s in there. Just go up to him, ask him to go on a walk, or see if he’d like to talk a little. He’ll come back around. Souls don’t just forget their ties to people, even if the mind does. Just take a leap of faith.”

A leap of faith, huh. Jongho was afraid still of making Yeosang uncomfortable, but he’d honestly do anything for the prince. Yeosang meant the entire world to him. If it meant forcing himself into a possibly incredibly awkward situation just to maybe get Yeosang to talk to him, so be it. Jongho nodded at what Hongjoong said—but then raised his head higher and gave a firmer nod.

The leader grinned at him. “That’s my boy. Now come on. We’ve got money to make and demons to hunt. You said you wanted me to teach you how to fight, right?”

Now with their little heart to heart over, they’d walked onto the grass and into the forest. Everything was eerily quiet in the forest. In the town there had been plenty of people walking around, the sounds of birds, animals, like any other town. But the forest was like an entirely different world.

“Yeah, I never… learned how to fight. Not that I can remember.” Hongjoong didn’t pick up on that comment, and Jongho realized he had never actually told his companions that he didn’t have any memories from his past. They had never asked him for the details of his and Yeosang’s relationship. He was afraid now that they would become suspicious for some reason if he let out that he only had memories from a short time in his life. All of his memories were only memories of Yeosang.

Before the oldest of them could answer, there was a sudden rumble, and from the ground came the first wave of demons they would encounter.

Hongjoong quickly pulled his sword from its sheath as Jongho jumped back to get his own out. They were… worms. Kind of. They had the body of worms, but were solid black, and they _roared_ , showing a myriad of teeth that went all the way down their throats. They were large, twice the side of Jongho himself, but Hongjoong didn’t look worried.

“This is nothing. Come on, let’s make some money!” Hongjoong pushed himself off the ground, flying forward and cutting one of the monsters in half in less than a _second_. The other worm demons sensed Hongjoong’s presence, heard the screams of their companion, and all turned to attack him.

Hongjoong didn’t seem worried. To Jongho, Hongjoong looked _excited_. Like he’d been waiting for a chance to fight again. Jongho still hurried forward to swipe at one of the worms, but his aim had been off and he only ended up slicing into its back, but not cutting it in half.

Blood sputtered everywhere, the worm screaming in agony, and the rest turned their attentions now to Jongho and their hurt companion. Hongjoong swiftly sliced the rest of the way through the worm, ending its screaming, and wasted no time in cutting through the last few. Then the bodies, the blood on the grass, all… disappeared. Evaporated right out of existence. How… interesting.

“You okay? I didn’t get to show you any techniques before they showed up.” Hongjoong walked over and inspected the younger, making sure he didn’t have any injuries. He didn’t, because Hongjoong had fought everything before he had a chance to.

“Sorry. My aim was off.” Jongho examined Hongjoong’s sword for the first time since they had started their journey. The blade was longer and wider than the thin one Jongho had been given. There were engravings on the blade, the handle adorned with patterns of swirls and leaves. There was the golden design of a dragon on it, right on the handle where Hongjoong held it.

The elder noticed Jongho quietly looking at it, so he quickly wiped the blood off onto the grass before holding it out to him.

“It was my father’s sword. The sword of a general. Passed down through my family for generations, keeping the family safe with each user. When my family was murdered, the sword found its way to me. I’ve had it in my care ever since.”

Jongho put his own sword to the ground so he could hold Hongjoong’s. It was heavier, obviously made with more expensive and sturdier metals. It was… beautiful. The motif of a dragon was what was engraved in the blade as well as the handle—no, not a dragon. A phoenix? It was a bird, so lightly engraved it could only be seen by tilting the blade into the light.

“It’s amazing. It’s really, really something. What’s with the dragon and the phoenix?” Jongho handed the blade back, Hongjoong examining its handle before looking back to Jongho who had reached down to pick his own sword back up.

“There was a story in my family, that before mankind there were gods, and the gods ruled the domain of our world. There was a dragon and a phoenix, protectors of the world, who kept order and life thriving in the world. One day one of the gods killed them in a fit of rage, and from their ashes birthed mankind. My family was the family supposedly from the dragon, hence the dragon on the handle. Supposedly the dragon and phoenix’s spirits are still alive, searching the world to find one another again. Supposedly those spirits are within humans, but that I find hard to believe.”

“Aren’t phoenixes supposed to rise from the ashes?”

“Look, smartass,” Hongjoong’s voice had no malice in it, he just smiled and shoved the boy’s shoulder, “I’m just telling you the story about the sword. You asked.”

Jongho laughed and shoved Hongjoong back and, for a moment, the world felt normal again. “Fine, fine. Before we start, like, trying to train me… is now a good time to let you know that I can barely see out of my right eye? I’ve never really been able to see out of it. Is that going to be a problem?”

Hongjoong led them on deeper into the forest, his head slowly nodding. “A little, but thanks for telling me. Just means that we’re going to have to train you more on sensing than practical skill. Which basically just means I’m going to blindfold you and make you walk back alone.”

“ _What_?”

Hongjoong grinned that stupid, stupid grin that Jongho knew meant nothing good. “In order for you to get a sense of your surroundings without relying on your sight, you have to be able to see things by feeling them. Feel their presence. Because obviously having no sight in your right eye means that relying on them, even as much as I rely on mine, won’t work. You’ll have to rely on seeing without them more than I do. Come on, I’ll teach you.”

For the rest of their time in the beginning stages of the forest, Hongjoong taught Jongho how to hold a sword, how to swing, how to position his legs to make sure that he would strike right where he wanted. It was hard, considering he almost had to close his right eye in order to fight, but he mostly hit at the trees and sticks that Hongjoong threw at him. The training would be enough to get through the forest before Hongjoong blindfolded him on the way back.

Jongho was still nervous about being… blindfolded alone… but he trusted Hongjoong. They still had some more hunting to do before it got too dark, which would buy him some time to get used to the idea, at least.

\---

Hongjoong wasn’t going to just leave Jongho to the wolves when he blindfolded him. His father had been the one to teach him, so he was going to teach Jongho the same way. He’d stay far enough ahead so he could watch the boy, but enough distance so he’d learn.

They had battled a couple more worm demons further into the forest but turned back around once the sun had completely gone down. Hongjoong had pulled a scarf that Yeosang had given him in the fog world out of his bag and tied it around Jongho’s eyes. He warned the boy he’d have to keep his eyes closed as well, to which Jongho just quietly agreed. He’d thank him later for this training.

Jongho was strong. He just needed to refine his skills a little bit. If he focused, he would be excellent with a sword. Those years in the ruins of his country made him keen, aware, so he just needed to transition those same skills into fighting. Just needed to tune them differently than when he was just exploring.

“Okay, Jongho. I’m going on ahead. Nod your head if you’re ready.” Jongho didn’t waste a second before nodding his head. “Okay, good. Give it a minute and then start, okay?” Jongho nodded again, and Hongjoong hurried on ahead, down the cobblestone path they had taken to the forest.

And, begin.

\---

The streets had been lit up with tall lanterns, but with the scarf on, Jongho had no idea where they were. In fact, he had no idea where he was at all. He couldn’t sense anything but… blackness.

He took a few steps, focusing on the fact that he remembered where the path was, but he couldn’t pinpoint where the buildings were, or if there were any objects obstructing his way. Actually, he took another two steps forward and immediately tripped over something, his hands coming up to break his fall.

“Stop relying on your memory, Jongho! Feel around with your senses or you’ll never learn how to fight properly!”

He had no idea where Hongjoong’s voice was coming from, but dammit, Hongjoong _boobytrapped_ him. He actually knew that he was going to use what he could remember from the very _beginning_. It was times like this that he remembered that Hongjoong was a highly skilled palace guard where he was from. He probably had gone through this training himself many times.

“Fine!” Jongho yelled back. He stood up straighter and… listened. People had all gone to the forest to fight and earn money or had gone to their respective rooms to sleep. Jongho, if he paid attention, could hear still the sounds of laughter coming from the buildings, or the yells coming from behind him in the forest. He tried to listen to see if he heard anything else, but he couldn’t.

He kicked the object Hongjoong had placed in front of him aside and attempted to try and see what its ‘presence’ was like. Now that he couldn’t see, he did notice his hearing had heightened. He was also more aware of the wind. Was that what Hongjoong meant by saying that he needed to see without seeing?

Okay, he could do this. Sure. Jongho took a deep breath and began making slower steps, trying to focus on the area around him and what he could sense. When he focused, he could almost feel the buildings looming over him. But he knew where they were. A few more steps and he stopped. It felt different. He pushed his sword out, only for it to clang against the stone of one of the building’s bases. He turned, and he began walking in another direction.

He managed to kick away some of the other things Hongjoong had put out, and he could swear he was starting to feel the heat of the lanterns above. Then… something changed.

Jongho, still blinded by the scarf, stopped and turned his head in the direction he had just come from. There was something different in the air. Something lurking behind him. Hongjoong wasn’t saying anything, and Jongho could tell that this presence wasn’t human. It wasn’t Hongjoong.

About the time the creature yelled, Jongho had whipped his body around, and in one fluid motion with his sword, he cut the demon in half. The body disappeared, glitching out of existence before it ever touched the ground.

“Jongho!”

This time, Jongho took the scarf off only to see there was… nothing around him. But he knew there had been a demon behind him. His sword had collided with it.

“Are you okay? Fuck, I barely saw it before you got it. Good job, by the way. Not how I expected for this to go, but you did good.” Hongjoong held Jongho’s chin in his grasp, turning his head a few times to examine him before Jongho pushed him away.

“Hyung. Seungmin said that the demons from the forest didn’t attack the town. Ever. How would one have gotten in and attacked me?”

The two stared at each other for a second, trying to place just what had happened. Seungmin had told them that the town was for those who wanted to work leisurely and comfortably. It’s why they left Yeosang and Seonghwa to the café and they left for the forest for something more intense. Jongho could see something sharp, almost predatorial flash in Hongjoong’s eyes. Something he hadn’t seen since they met.

“I think we might be onto where the butterfly is. Something is either in the forest messing with the demons, or something is in the town that would draw them in.” Hongjoong sheathed his sword, Jongho doing the same, and placed a hand firm on the center of the younger’s back. “Come on. Let’s go see if Seonghwa and Yeosang heard anything.”

\---

“Well, your story lines up with what we heard today.”

Seonghwa had just closed the café when Hongjoong and Jongho finally made it back. Hongjoong said they needed to talk, so he set up a table in the corner with drinks and snacks Yeosang had prepared for them so they could tell them what happened.

Yeosang had made some cookies especially for Jongho but had them back in a pretty container that he said he’d give to him at a better time. However, Yeosang had made sure he was sitting next to Jongho at the table instead of Seonghwa. And he could tell it made the youngest two very, very happy.

Especially, perhaps, because Seonghwa and Yeosang had changed into the café’s uniform for men. Black dress pants, white dress shirts, and black vests with red ties. Yeosang’s golden hair looked absolutely stunning with the uniform. He’d been given quite a few compliments. It was a far cry from Yeosang’s usual outfit of an off-white flowing shirt and tighter pants of a similar color. Seonghwa’s outfit of black pants, black boots, and a white high-collar shirt with golden buttons and blue detailed trim on the sleeves and neck was similar enough, but he still managed a few compliments.

Not that he’d kept track or anything. However, Jongho seemed to like the uniform, given how many times he’d glanced in Yeosang’s direction. Cute.

Meanwhile, Hehetmon was sitting on Yeosang’s lap and happily munching away at some of the candy a player had brought in for them earlier. It felt odd to call them ‘players’ and not ‘customers.’ Something… _didn’t sit well with him about it._

“People came in today saying that they had noticed more aggressive demons that hadn’t been there before deeper in the forest. Apparently, there’s an incredibly powerful demon that is worth a fortune out there, but no one has found it. Till today, I guess.” Yeosang had been the one tending to most of the customers’ tables while Seonghwa helped Seungmin at the counter, but he had heard a lot as well.

“Mm. I heard Yeosang talking to someone about how people have noticed a strange man that lurks behind the trees around this new demons. Claims the new enemies ‘glitch’ and disappear as soon as they’re defeated. Or if they move on. Some seem to think that human they’re seeing is the most powerful one they’re all trying to get. But they had no idea that it was that strong, or that it could spawn new demons.”

“It can’t, actually.”

All heads turned to see Seungmin had come from out of the kitchen where he had been washing dishes, a towel between his hands. Seonghwa had thought Seungmin had gone home a while before, but suddenly he was right there in front of him. Odd. Maybe there was a back door he didn’t know about.

“No demon can just spawn more at will. Something isn’t right, that’s why they’re glitching like that and disappearing. Why they can come into the town when they’re not supposed to. People are terrified and I’m… I’m not sure what to do, honestly.” Seungmin sighed and walked up to the little stage where the microphone was, sitting himself down on one of the stools. “People aren’t wanting to play now. Less adventurers, less demon hunters. Most people want to stay inside out of fear.”

Seonghwa watched Yeosang turn his head towards Jongho, a hand delicately reaching out to touch the sleeve of Jongho’s shirt.

“Do you think my butterfly would cause this? Would give something the power to create like that?” Instead of answering him, Jongho just turned his attention towards Seonghwa, resident mage, for answers.

“It’s… possible. The magical signature held in those butterflies is immense. Wars could be started over them. For someone to create something like that, they would need some form of magic within them anyways. Hehetmon, how strongly do you feel the butterfly?”

The little white creature turned its head up, floating itself atop of Yeosang’s head. “Faint! Not in the town!”

Seonghwa gave a little nod. “I’m not sure if it’s in the forest or not. There isn’t really anywhere else it could be unless that person really does have it. Nobody spoke today of a butterfly or anything similar. I’m wondering… if this person can in fact create things, can in fact hide themselves at will, they might already possess the butterfly and be suppressing its magic. We need to find it and _quickly_. Get a good night sleep tonight, then tomorrow morning we’ll devise a plan.”

The group, and Seungmin, all nodded. Seonghwa wasn’t sure why Seungmin nodded, perhaps just to be polite, but he did.

“I think I’ll take Hehetmon with me. I want to ask Wooyoung something about the butterflies before bed.” Seonghwa nodded and let Yeosang go ahead on up the stairs, Hehetmon floating after him. “Jongho?”

“I might go stand guard outside for a little bit. Practice some of the stuff hyung was teaching me earlier.”

Seonghwa wanted to protest, but he let Jongho go. He was strong, he wouldn’t be far, and Seonghwa would surely be able to feel if something went wrong close by. He didn’t use his magic, but he was still a powerful mage. They would both be close enough to save him should they hear or sense anything.

Seungmin moved himself and the microphone over to the piano on the opposite side of the room, and actually began to play and sing softly into the night. The lights were dim, the night warm, it was… nice.

“Well… leaves the two adults to themselves.” Seonghwa picked up a bottle he had brought out with him, pouring some of the red wine into a glass. “Want some? Seungmin says it’s good. I haven’t had wine in ages.”

“Not a wine man. But I don’t think this town has anything harder, so sure.” Seonghwa laughed under his breath and poured some into Hongjoong’s glass as well, then put the bottle in the center of the table. They were still sitting next to one another, so close he could feel Hongjoong’s warmth, but they didn’t move.

Hongjoong was certainly something else. When their journey had first started, Seonghwa couldn’t stand him. At all. Hongjoong was angry, bitter, and completely distrusting of them all. It was Tokyo that had begun the change. In Tokyo, they had been forced to work together. Spend time together. He’d seen their actions wake Yeosang up, and Seonghwa believed that it was seeing Yeosang and hearing him talk that made Hongjoong realize he needed to change. Something internal had changed.

Seonghwa enjoyed teasing him more because of it. No longer did Hongjoong get under his skin for his absolutely ridiculous behavior. He had morphed into a leader, someone who was taking everything he could on himself without mentioning it. Leading them, working the hardest for money, taking Jongho under his wing, making sure Seonghwa and Yeosang were comfortable for now… so of course, the leader needed to let some steam off. So, teasing him was the best policy. Get under his skin first.

Seungmin’s sweet voice filled the room as Seonghwa drank at his wine. The eldest raised a hand to pull at his tie, loosening it from his neck until it hung far down on his chest. For a moment, he could try and forget that he was running away. For a moment, with wine warm in his stomach, he could forget that he was fearful.

For now, he could simply exist.

“… Seonghwa.”

“Hm?”

Hongjoong was already pouring himself a second glass, and had it not been for all they were going through, maybe Seonghwa would have teased him about it. He would let Hongjoong have this one thing. Just this one time.

“You know everything about magic, essentially. The kids ask you anything and you know the answer. Why the hell aren’t you using your magic to help us? Can’t you just… find the butterfly with your magic? Or go kill a ton of demons and find that guy yourself?”

Now it was Seonghwa who was drinking his wine down too quickly and pouring another glass. Too sober for this—not out of his mind enough for this. His magic could help, of course it could. His magic was defensive. He was trained in other forms like trans-dimensional travel, music, time—he just couldn’t create. Only distort and destroy. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t do that to them.

“You never told us what that tattoo on your back was.”

“Because it was none of your business.”

For the briefest of moments, Seonghwa’s cool, fun, and smiling self was gone—that fake wall had dropped to reveal the cold interior that laid behind it. The insecure, frightened person flashed in Seonghwa’s eyes before he took another drink and, like a switch, the fake smiling Seonghwa was back.

“You know, when I was younger… I dreamed of someone whisking me off my feet and taking me away from anything and everything around me.” Seonghwa looked over to a still singing Seungmin, whose voice had lowered, much like the lights around them. “This place has such an ambience to it, doesn’t it? Forcing me to remember such foolish, romantic thoughts.”

Hongjoong was silent for a moment, eyes trained on the bottle in front of him. “It isn’t foolish to wish for love, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa actually laughed at that. “Perhaps not. But isn’t admitting to wishing for something so shallow such a sign of weakness?”

“No. I don’t think that, actually.” Hongjoong sat up a little straighter, nursing the glass of wine in his hand, swirling the liquid inside absentmindedly as he lost himself in thought. “Admitting you want love just makes you human. Admitting you wish for deeper relationships that mean something makes you normal. Doesn’t have to be romantic love. Can be platonic. Love is a strength, actually.”

He was surprised to hear such things come from Hongjoong’s mouth. This time, Seonghwa looked over to see the side of Hongjoong’s face, seeing the intent look in his eye as he stared down at the glass. “Elaborate on that.”

“Back where I’m from, Prince Yunho, he’s in love with his other bodyguard, Mingi. Mingi is in love with him too. I knew it from the second I met them, and we were all damn _children_ at that time, but I knew they were soulmates or whatever. As we got older, I was jealous of Mingi’s love for Yunho. I hated how close they were. It _hindered_ me.”

Hongjoong paused to finish his glass, giving Seonghwa a moment to speak. “Were you in love with Yunho?”

“No.” Another glass poured. Hongjoong was working fast on the wine, but Seonghwa knew why. He was for the same reason too. “I never felt romantic love for him. I realized I loved him, but as much as someone could love their master. Yunho gave me a home, purpose, a reason to keep going. It gave me strength to better myself. That love pushed me to grow stronger. Made me realize why Yunho would send me out like he did.”

So, Hongjoong had made peace with the fact that he was on this journey. He’d been so angry with Wooyoung over it. But he’d finally realized how much Yunho cared.

“Anyways, Mingi’s love made him grow stronger too. So he could protect what he loved most in the world. Mingi and Yunho’s bond was unlike anything I knew I would ever have. But I knew my version of love for the two of them was more than enough. More than I deserved. But I fucked that up, didn’t I? Maybe this journey will repair our relationship with one another.”

Ah, Hongjoong had been doing a lot of introspection. “Unlike anything you’d ever have, huh? Are you also imagining someone whisking you off your feet?”

“Unlikely.” Hongjoong snorted a laugh. “I’d do the whisking, I think.”

“It’s not a weakness to say you want romantic love, you know.”

“Of all times for you to actually listen to me, you choose _this_?”

Seonghwa let out a good-natured laugh and poured himself another glass, bottle mostly gone, just trying to keep up with his companion. He could feel himself caring less and less about what he was saying. Seonghwa hadn’t had anyone close to him that he hadn’t created himself in… decades. Maybe over a hundred years. It meant something to him to be able to talk like this.

“Do mages get hangovers? I’m not taking care of you if you get sick.”

“How dare you think that I can’t hold my alcohol.”

Yeah, Seonghwa would deal with the repercussions of the night in the morning. For now, he was going to drink his wine, lose himself in Seungmin’s voice, and lose himself in talking to Hongjoong.

\---

Yeosang was _not_ going to comment on the fact that when he went to knock on Seonghwa’s door that morning to wake him up that not only was it unlocked, it was empty. But that Hongjoong’s door was most definitely locked in their little apartment. He could say maybe Seonghwa was downstairs, but he hadn’t heard him get up. And Yeosang had been awake for a while.

He quickly changed into his café uniform and went downstairs to prepare the cookies he’d made the day before for Jongho. Seonghwa had been right. He needed to try and make a move to get closer to Jongho because Jongho was probably just nervous. He didn’t remember anything about him, but he could definitely learn it again.

“Good morning, Jongho.” Yeosang smiled his little smile when Jongho came downstairs and sat down at one of the tables. He seemed surprised to see Yeosang but smiled back happily. “I um. I actually made you something, though I know it isn’t really breakfast—I wanted to do something for you.”

“You didn’t have to do anything, Yeosang, but… thank you. I’d love that.” Jongho’s little reassurance made Yeosang smile wider as he brought around a tray of cookies and two iced coffees. He placed them down on the table and sat down across from the boy, knowing he had about an hour before the café would need to open. He hadn’t seen Seungmin yet.

“I wanted to thank you. I can’t remember much of anything, and nothing of you yet, but you still sacrifice a lot to get my memories back. It means a lot to me. I’ve tried hard to remember, but Seonghwa told me I might black out and harm myself if I try too hard.” Yeosang cleared his throat, his cheeks and the tips of his ears beginning to turn red. “Ah, it’s embarrassing to ask, but we can make new memories… right?”

Jongho must have short circuited for a second, because when Yeosang looked at him, he had a cookie almost in his mouth, but he’d entirely stopped and was just… staring. At Yeosang. Jongho put the cookie down, a little embarrassed, but smiled the happiest eye smile that Yeosang had seen from him.

“I was going to ask the same thing, actually. I’ve been scared to talk to you after you lost your memories. Hongjoong-hyung mentioned maybe I was being too careful, and it might be hurting you. I was trying to make life easier for you, but I didn’t realize I wasn’t letting you just be who you are. You’re going through a lot and I should’ve been there to help you. I’m sorry about that. But I’d like to make new memories. That’s what’s important.”

“You didn’t hurt me, Jongho. I promise. But thank you for apologizing. We’re both kinda bad at this, aren’t we?” Yeosang smiled held his pinky out to Jongho. “Pinky promise, from here on we work through this together.”

Jongho returned the smile, wrapping his pinky around Yeosang’s, and gave their linked hands one good shake before pulling back. He was reminded of their first trip to the room under the ruins. The promise of their spot. “So, tell me about the cookies. They look really good. Did Seonghwa help you?”

“They’re shortbread, they have a bit of jam or something Seonghwa made in the middle. He helped me with some of it, but I did a lot of it. Speaking of Seonghwa…” Yeosang looked around to see if the eldest was around, and even though he wasn’t, Yeosang still leaned in close over the table. “Did you see him and hyung last night? When you came in?”

Jongho looked around and, also making sure they weren’t around, shrugged his shoulders. “When I came in, they were still sitting at one of the tables and drinking together while Seungmin was playing the piano. I thought it was odd but went to bed. Why? Are they already gone this morning?”

Yeosang was excited. Now this was interesting. “Actually, Seonghwa-hyung’s bed was empty this morning when I went to check on him and wake him up. But Hongjoong-hyung’s bedroom was completely locked.” He held his hands up in defense but was still grinning. “I’m not saying anything _drunkenly_ happened, but Seonghwa-hyung is missing and Hongjoong-hyung’s door was locked.”

Oh, Jongho looked interested. Jongho had been around the two more than Yeosang had been, where he was asleep, and Yeosang had heard all about their little fights from Wooyoung when he talked to him for the first time the night before. Wooyoung was really, really nice. San had been excited to talk to him too. Yeosang promised he’d visit him in person soon but had a wish to make.

While Yeosang and Jongho had been laughing and bonding over the possibility of their hyungs sleeping together, neither one of them had noticed someone standing outside the door. Suddenly, there was a banging at the door, making Yeosang jump in his seat. Was it already time to open? There was no way—there was no way that it was time.

“Hi! Excuse me, we aren’t—” Yeosang had opened the door enough to let the customer know they weren’t open, but the man slammed the door open and knocked Yeosang right off his feet, stumbling back until he fell to the ground. Jongho jumped up and went right for the guy but stopped the very second that their eyes met.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Jongho and Prince Yeosang. I had heard you were traveling dimensions, but I didn’t think we were going to meet like this, hm?”

“ _You_?”

Yeosang’s eyes, wide and slightly frightened, looked back and forth from the newcomer and Jongho. Did they know one another? Was this man from Anthina? Yeosang couldn’t remember ever meeting him.

The guy was about their age, their height—but there was something about him that made Yeosang wonder how old he really was. He wasn’t human, he could tell that much.

His hair was short, black, with a light fringe in the front, his hair not parted. He was in all black as well—leather pants, boots, and a white shirt that had ruffles around its buttons and at the sleeves and collar. To top it off, he was wearing a very long black cloak that dragged the ground when he walked. Two crosses hung from each ear, gold to match the hooks and chains that connected the cloak over the shirt.

He was beautiful. Striking.

“You seem shocked to see me. You were shocked the first time too, weren’t you?”

“Jongho, who is that?” Yeosang pulled himself up from the wooden floor, taking a stance similar to Jongho’s in case he needed to run or fight. “Is he dangerous?”

“No—not… not really. I don’t know. I don’t know what he wants. You can never tell with vampires what they want.”

Vampire. That’s why he was so striking. Why he looked so young but gave off such a presence. Because he probably _had_ been alive for a while.

“I would love to stay and chat, but I have matters to attend to. Things to find, people to secure. I wanted to say hello to my old friends, though. I heard you had a run-in last night with one of the demons, Jongho.” The vampire smiled, his hand raising to wave at them, revealing the long nails on his fingers.

“Minho, are _you_ the demon here? The highest-level demon?”

“Why don’t you ask the Oracle?”

And in an instant, Minho had backed out of the café and… disappeared. Just like the demons. Jongho ran outside and looked around for him but saw absolutely nothing. Yeosang was left standing in the doorway watching him, wishing he could remember anything about the vampire so he could help.

Jongho turned to Yeosang, a new fire burning in his eyes.

“I need to see that Oracle with Hongjoong-hyung.”

\---

_The day had been nice and pleasant for Jongho and his father. They had just returned from the ruins, each cataloguing for the other what they had seen or discovered. His father had just started getting up to make dinner when there had been a knock on the door._

_When Jongho, young, 15-year-old Jongho, opened the door, he was shocked at the appearance of the boy in the black cloak before him. All black, even in the desert? But he didn’t seem affected. His father had turned to notice the visitor, the boy just grinning and waving at him, before his father pulled him inside._

_“Minho—Minho, this is Jongho. My adopted son. I wasn’t expecting you to… visit here.” His father had friends outside of Anthina? He was such a kind man, but he had been so secretive all of Jongho’s time with him. He still didn’t even know his father’s name. This visitor looked over Jongho and, wordlessly, pulled a book from somewhere in his cloak._

_“I need you to translate this. Urgently.” The boy spoke rather monotone, serious, he had a mission and he didn’t care much for Jongho getting in the way. So Jongho kept quiet and sat at his father’s desk while the man walked up and took the book to examine it._

_“I—did he find this? Did you find this?” Minho nodded his head and leaned himself against the wall. All the while, Jongho’s father was glancing back to see his son’s reaction. Because Jongho was never meant to be in this space. It was painfully obvious now._

_“He did. He has information I need, and he told me to get this translated. I had to do that on my own. No wishing.” Translation? Jongho had become pretty adept at translation—he could help. Then he would fit better._

_“I can help—"_

_“No.”_

_Jongho was taken back. He’d never heard his father use such a tone with him. Just what was this book? What was this boy who had come in?_

_“I’ll translate it. Give me a few days and meet me by the ruins next time, Minho. Not here. Not in the village.” The boy nodded wordlessly, giving Jongho a quick look before he stepped outside and out of sight. Completely gone without a trace._

_His father didn’t place the book on his table. He took it with him to the kitchen, not letting it out of his sight. Jongho was concerned. Was he somehow in trouble with someone? Why would he be so secretive about something, when he had been so open with Jongho before?_

_Jongho stood and walked to the small kitchen they shared to say something but ended up chickening out and wordlessly stood near his father, a look of concern washing over him. He wanted to help. Surely the man could see that._

_“… Jongho. If something ever happens, if you’ve learned nothing else from me, there is one thing you must keep in mind.”_

_Jongho nodded, and his father turned, his eyes sharp and his jaw clenched._

_“Don’t trust that vampire.”_

\---

“So, let me get this straight. A vampire from your past has shown up here, all but admitted to being the one who is creating these demons, but when you asked if he was the highest level demon, he told you to see the Oracle. Oh, and you don’t trust him at all.”

“Yes.”

“And we’re just going to listen. When you don’t even fucking _trust_ vampires.”

Jongho sighed, but Hongjoong was persistent. He’d woken up to a massive hangover, Seonghwa faring even worse, only to come downstairs and see the kids freaking out over some vampire named Minho. However crazy this situation was, he’d trust the youngest. Jongho wouldn’t just throw them into danger. Probably.

“The Oracle might have information we need. No one has gone up there, right? They’re too afraid of the demons.” Jongho had his sword out, but Hongjoong’s was still sheathed.

“There haven’t been any out since we entered the forest. I don’t like that. This guy is obviously leading us to something, and it pisses me off.”

Jongho didn’t respond to that, and it wasn’t like he was trying to make Jongho feel bad. Jongho was going whether Hongjoong was or not, and he wasn’t about to let the kid do something reckless on his own. Hongjoong kept a lookout, kept his watch up, but there was no disturbances as they walked up the forest covered mountain to the Oracle. No demons. No hunters. It was as though they were the only people around. Had been the entire trip through the forest.

“Hyung? Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Did you and Seonghwa-hyung… last night?”

Oh, Hongjoong could tell from the boy’s ears and the fact that he knew that Jongho was asking if they had fucked the night before. “Is that way Yeosang wouldn’t make eye contact with us this morning?!”

“He said he went to get hyung up and he wasn’t in his room, but your door was locked! We just assumed, since you’re adults—”

“ _Jongho_.” Hongjoong stopped for a second to rub his temples. “We drank a lot, yes. I’m still hungover, yes. I do _not_ remember everything from last night. But I was sober enough when I went to bed to know we pulled a futon into my room so I could make sure he didn’t throw up and choke in his sleep given how drunk he was.”

The boy nodded, clearing his throat as he rubbed at his neck. “Ah, just looking after him, then. That was, ah, nice of you to do, hyung.”

“Oh my god, Yeosang is probably asking Seonghwa the same thing.” They had started walking again, Hongjoong still rubbing his temples. “That’s the last time I let him convince me to drink.”

The rest of their trip up the mountain was as quiet as it had been before. It was towards the top of the mountain that Hongjoong had noticed they hadn’t even heard the birds they’d heard before. There was truly nothing but the white noise of the wind around them. Hongjoong seriously didn’t like this. But if Jongho had gone alone, maybe it would have been worse. Maybe he would have been attacked by this Minho had Hongjoong not been with him.

The temple of the Oracle was pristine. Beautiful white marble columns, intricate pediment, gold inlays, even statues of gods he was sure were from more than one world. Quite the setup. The two of them walks up the marble stairs and slowly pushed open the heavy doors to reveal her: The Oracle, sitting atop her tripod.

She was huge. The ceiling was a number of stories high and she was at the very least two stories tall. She was clearly not human. Her body was hunched over a large fire burning in the floor, decorated in white robes, a veil over her head to hide her hair and her face. Upon seeing the doors open, she sat up straighter.

Her hands looked human, but her fingers were long, even for someone her height. Long, silver hair could be seen under the veil and reaching down her back, her skin such a pale pink it was nearly white. Her nose was pointy, as her ears were, and her eyes were all coal, solid black. Yes, _eyes_. Three sets of them. Her red lips pulled into a smile and, in a strange way, Hongjoong thought she was captivating. Beautiful.

“Welcome, hunters. You are not adventurers at all, are you?” They shook their heads at her voice. For someone so large, her voice was airy, small. “You have come looking for answers. I will tell you what I know.”

“Is the vampire in this world the one making all of the demons act crazy? Is he the strongest demon everyone is trying to find?” Jongho spoke first to the Oracle, his eyes wide as she tilted her head at him.

“The vampire is not part of this world. He has created the demons because he has figured out a way to within this world. I cannot tell you who the top demon is. That would be breaking the rules of the game.”

Hongjoong pondered what ‘game’ meant, but nevertheless was the next one to speak. “Is he using the butterfly? Has he found it and used that to break the rules and create his own demons? Make the other ones act out?”

“The butterfly is outside of this world. He has not found it yet. He, like you, cannot pinpoint exactly where it is. Its signature is being masked.”

“Masked?” Jongho turned to look at Hongjoong, who mirrored his worried look. “If Minho doesn’t have it, she said it’s outside of this world—what is that supposed to mean? Where is the butterfly?”

“I believe you should hurry back to the café, hunters.” The Oracle folded her hands together, eyes wide as she stared down at the fire below her. **_“Someone is being killed at the café at this very moment.”_**

Their blood ran cold. And they spoke at the same time:

“ _Seonghwa_ —”

“ _Yeosang_ —”

The two hunters exchanged a quick look before bolting from the Oracle’s temple without a word. It had been a trick. It had been so clear and easy because Minho wanted for them to get out of the village so he could attack Yeosang and Seonghwa. And for what? What was he going to gain from doing such a thing?

They had to hurry. They had to hurry and had to pray they weren’t too late.

\---

When Seonghwa awoke, he was… in a theme park?

He had awoken and stepped from a pod of sorts into… a theme park. All of the lights were on, but nothing was running. Actually, it looked quite destroyed, with stalls broken and games laying on their sides. Where were they?

Yeosang.

Seonghwa hurried over in time to see Yeosang emerge from one of those very pods, a little delirious. He helped the boy to stand up and watched as Yeosang also looked around at their new surroundings. They weren’t in Giverny Town. But they hadn’t left worlds, Seonghwa would have known if they did.

“Are we dead?” Yeosang and the little Hehetmon, snuggled into Yeosang’s chest and arms, walked towards the theme park around them.

“No, Sangie, I don’t think we are. But I have no idea where we are.”

The vampire, Minho, had come to find the butterfly from them. Because he’d thought they had it in their possession, and that was why Yeosang was acting the way he was. He had no idea the butterflies were Yeosang’s memories, nor the reason why they were looking for them. Why they hadn’t found it.

Seonghwa had fought with his hands and any materials he could find, Yeosang taking a sword from the stock room in order to try and fight back, but both had been killed by one of Minho’s demons. Hehetmon had even tried getting them out but had been struck down first. Seonghwa could have actually gotten them killed. He hadn’t used magic, had he just tried and--

“Oh my god, are you guys alright?!”

From behind the building next to them emerged Felix. So, his soul was part of this world too? He hurried over and examined the two before clapping his hands together and giving a little bow, his head downturned.

“We don’t know what to do, he keeps breaking the game’s code, he’s been pulling demons in from this world and—the two are going to morph and collapse if he keeps this up! He’s already destroyed Space Park with those things!”

Suddenly, it all came back to him.

They had arrived in Space Park and had been ushered to the Giverny Town stall before they could do so much as protest. Felix had told them before players are sent into the digital world, their memories of arriving in the park were erased so they could have a more immersive experience. And once they died in the game or wished to leave by speaking to Seungmin, they would come back to Space Park. That’s why they called them ‘players’ and why… why they earned money for what they did.

**_They had been in a video game the entire time._ **

“Oh my god. Hyung, they’re still in there with him!” Yeosang looked to Felix, eyes wide as he pointed to the pods. “Can you send us back in? Please, I need to help—”

“I can’t. There’s a rule, there’s a 24-hour period before you can be sent back in. Even if I wanted to overwrite it, he’s been corrupting the data at such speeds that I can’t even get everyone out. If you die, there’s a small chance you won’t come out. I can’t believe you guys actually made it. He’s been rewriting codes, that’s why his demons can’t be tracked. How he keeps disappearing. I’ve tried writing him out, but he keeps writing himself back in.”

“Hyung, we have to stop him.” Yeosang was looking into one of the monitors outside of the town that let possible players see what the world was like. He could see the ruins of the café, Minho amongst the demons he had brought in. Jongho and Hongjoong were going to come back and they too might be killed by vampire. “If he gets control of that world, he can bring it out here, it’ll collapse, he’ll—he’s going to get my butterfly and use its magic for so much worse. I can feel it.”

Yeosang was right. But what could they possibly do? Seonghwa wasn’t even sure how to combine worlds, just travel to them. He wasn’t like Wooyoung, who could bend the wills of each universe. They didn’t have anything, currently, to really offer in exchange. He was going to have to think more practically to get them all out in one piece. To keep the worlds from collapsing with all of those people still inside.

“I don’t know much about this coding, but is it possible for you to… use it against him?” Felix turned to Seonghwa, a little confused, but he appeared a little intrigued as well.

“Use it against him? How?”

“Well—” Seonghwa gestured to where Yeosang was adamantly looking at the screen, Hehetmon still scared against his chest. “You said he’s been rewriting it to bring demons in, right? Is there a way to use that code to pull him back out before he notices? Or at least open a rift big enough for him to be pulled out?”

Felix considered Seonghwa’a words for a second before walking over to Yeosang’s screen. He pulled his phone from his pocket and started typing something, eyes closing as he mouthed something before starting again.

“It’s possible. It’s so tricky, but it’s possible. A rift would be too risky, I just—I would instead need to add Seungmin’s code to—” Felix’s eyes widened, something finally clicking in his mind. “I’ll be right back! Watch the screen!”

Seonghwa gave both Felix and Yeosang a concerned glance before going over to the younger boy. Felix had run off into the building next to the pods, leaving them alone. Using Hehetmon would have meant opening a rift, which may have made the world collapse. Felix’s idea would keep that from happening, perhaps? He had no idea what he made Felix do, what he made him think about, but it was a while before Felix emerged again.

“Okay. Okay! I think I have an idea! I added onto some of the code, but its encrypted so he shouldn’t be able to notice that I added something. He’s probably too focused on your friends to care anyways. I told Seungmin my plan, and it _should_ work. I’m going to need your help when he gets the ball moving. Seungmin will phase back into this world with Minho, I’ll quickly get your friends out, and while you guys take care of him, I can repair the game enough with the backup I’ve got to get everyone out.”

Seonghwa liked that plan better than joining the worlds. Pulling only what was necessary out without disrupting the world more than Minho already had. Felix could fix it and save everyone. Perfect.

“I have to ask… why Seungmin?” Yeosang’s eyes were plastered to the screen, but even he turned when Seonghwa spoke. “What is it about Seungmin that made him the key to getting Minho and everyone else out?”

Felix flashed them a toothy, happy grin.

“Did you think the top demon was going to be in the game _all_ the time?”

\---

Jongho’s lungs were on fire by the time they made it back to the café. The sight was… horrific. The café and surrounding buildings were completely destroyed. The streets were empty, everyone hiding wherever they could, away from where Minho had attacked.

His blood had run cold long ago. He couldn’t—he couldn’t find Yeosang. Nor Seonghwa. He and Hongjoong both hustled to get through the rubble, trying to find them, but found nothing. Not even a trace of where they had once been.

Where was Hehetmon? They could still understand one another, was the little creature nearby? Was he hiding?

“Fuck, _fuck_!” Hongjoong pounded his fist into one of the broken walls, leaning his forehead against it as he screamed. “I knew it was a fucking trap, I knew it was fucking off!”

“Hyung, this is all my fault, I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t listened, had we not gone to the Oracle—”

“Shut up. Shut up, none of this is your fault. You were doing what you thought was right.” Hongjoong paused to bang his fist against the wall again. Jongho flinched. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to throttle that fucking vampire the second that I see him for taking them from us.”

Jongho couldn’t believe it. Yeosang was… gone. Yeosang was really gone. It didn’t make sense, there was no trace of them—what had Minho done? Jongho felt tears beginning to drip from his eyes, and he hurried to wipe them away. He didn’t have time to mourn right now. He had to find Minho. He had to make that vampire pay for taking the love of his life away from him.

But he had to. He had to let it out.

His chest was tight. His head was spinning. His prince, his hyung, his reason for living. Like the very light of life was suddenly pushed from his chest, diminished before him. Yeosang was… Yeosang was _gone_.

He felt his shaking legs finally give out from under him, dropping him right on his knees onto the cobblestone street. He hunched forward, his hands keeping him from falling over, head bowed, and he screamed. Finally, truly screamed. Let out all of the pain in his heart, all of the racing emotions he had felt since he was with the Oracle.

“Little loud, don’t you think?”

Jongho’s head shot up, anger filling his eyes, as he saw Minho appear atop one of the still standing buildings nearby. He bolted upright, pulling his sword from its sheath. Hongjoong was ready beside him in an instant.

“I will never, ever forgive you for what you’ve done.” Jongho’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle of the sword. “Not until you’re dead too.”

Minho’s eyebrow quirked up, head tilting as he watched the two. “They were in my way. They didn’t have what I needed, so I got them out of the way. Now you two _have_ to tell me where the butterfly is.”

“We don’t _have_ it, fucker!” Hongjoong pointed his sword up at the vampire, murder written all over his face, seared into his eyes. “We don’t know where it _fucking_ is!”

Minho’s eyes darkened at that. “I don’t think you understand. Cooperate. Give me the butterfly. I need its power.” His eyes turned to Jongho. “You would do anything for your prince, yes? I need that butterfly to find my brother. And I will do anything to get to him. Surely you can sympathize.”

Jongho’s jaw clenched. “You _took_ my prince from me.”

“Details. I just need the butterfly, you two, I don’t need you to fight me. Too much energy.” How could he be so casual when he had just killed their friends?!

“Hyung.” Jongho spoke low, eyes fixed on Minho. “Hehetmon has to be nearby. We can still understand one another. We can’t find their bodies. What if—what if he’s playing a trick on us?”

“I can help with that.”

From nowhere appeared the one and only café owner, Seungmin. Minho’s eyes narrowed at him as he walked forward, right up behind where Jongho and Hongjoong stood.

“You’re right, Jongho. He _is_ nearby. This vampire is playing a trick on everyone, in fact, searching for that butterfly. And I know where it is. But maybe we should—”

Seungmin completely disappeared, reappearing right behind Minho, his hand rest atop the vampire’s shoulder.

“—talk about this in the real world, yes?”

In an instant, Seungmin and Minho were gone. As if they had never even been there. Jongho and Hongjoong both, swords drawn, turned in a circle to try and pinpoint where nearby they may have gone. So, Hehetmon was close by. Yeosang and Seonghwa might also be nearby, whether they were alive or not he wasn’t sure.

“I really, really don’t like this.”

\---

  
  
The world went black. Completely. Jongho blinked a few times until suddenly he was… walking into a theme park? Where the hell? He walked out of some sort of pod, Hongjoong coming out in one right beside him.

It all came back to him. Arriving to Space Park, Felix rushing them into the game, being told they would lose their memories—that’s why he had felt so off the entire time. Because they were in a _video game_ , like the very one Changbin had used to win Yeosang’s butterfly all those worlds ago.

“Holy shit, we’re out.” Hongjoong looked around to try and gather his bearings, letting the memories slowly come back to him. “Do you you think they’re out here?”

One way to find out.

Stepping out away from the pods, away from the building behind them, showed Minho and Seungmin at a standoff in front of some of the broken, forgotten stalls of Space Park. What the hell was Seungmin? How had he been able to do all of that if he was just one of the characters in the video game?

“ _Jongho_!”

Time stopped. That was Yeosang’s voice. His eyes widened, head turning slowly to see the grinning boy running towards him. It felt like it was all happening in slow motion. Jongho didn’t hold back this time. He didn’t try to be polite, kind, he didn’t smile and show only part of the relief he felt in his heart. Jongho ran after him, pulling Yeosang into his arms, burying his head into the boy’s neck.

At first, Yeosang only stood there as Jongho clutched onto him. But in an instant, Jongho felt Yeosang’s fingers curl tight into his shirt, the elder’s head moving to let his cheek rest against Jongho’s head.

“I thought he took you, Yeosang. I thought he took you away and you were gone.” Jongho hadn’t expected a little laugh to come from Yeosang, but he took no offense to it. Maybe it did sound ridiculous. He didn’t care anymore.

“Nothing will take me away, Jongho. You’ve already proven if something tries to, you’ll be right there to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

In that moment, he was reminded of what Hongjoong had said about souls always remembering, even if the mind didn’t.

Jongho and Yeosang were so wrapped up in their moment that neither one of them saw Hongjoong and Seonghwa’s.

That Hongjoong and Seonghwa had also run towards each other but had stopped before they could get too close. That something was between them, something that had begun to flicker when the other was in danger. For Seonghwa, the fear that he was becoming close to someone that he could never stay with. For Hongjoong, fearing he was getting close to someone who would run through his fingers and disappear.

In that moment, staring at one another, relieved the other was okay, it was enough for now. The feelings had _budded_ , but not quite _blossomed_. There was too much fear and distrust for now. But it left the possibility. If cared for correctly, if nurtured, it could become something _unstoppable_.

But they both understood that. Looking into one another’s eyes, they understood.

\---

“You said you had the butterfly and I will do _whatever_ it takes to get it!”

Everyone in the group was pulled from their little moments by the sounds of Minho screaming at Seungmin. Hongjoong was the first to run over, sword at his hand once more, but Seungmin held a hand up to stop him and Jongho, who had followed him over.

“I’m fine. Felix has his code blocked from the game and has the demons destroyed now that he isn’t in the system and can’t mess with it. He’s alone. He needed to use the game to make the demons and was working to bring that world into this one. He needed something to readily make a lot of demons for his little army. So he could take the butterflies from other worlds. Thanks to you guys, we figured out the best way to get him out. He could lure them into the game with magic, but it was the game’s coding that bent them to his will. Now our code is fixed.”

Seungmin was _smirking_. It was perhaps the most normal he had ever been. But he was right. Minho was alone now. Nothing around him to help him out, no way to get back into the game and make another demon army.

“The worlds were going to collapse.” Seonghwa stepped up, hands clenched into fists at his side. “He was going to destroy both of them and unleash his personal army on other worlds. Hehetmon couldn’t open a portal out without a rift being created. But we figured out by giving him part of Seungmin’s code, Seungmin could get him out without disrupting the game. He’s the top demon and one of the developers of the game. And Felix could patch it so he can get the others out of the game safely without Minho being able to get back in.”

Minho glared at all of them, his own jaw clenched. “Give me the damn butterfly and I won’t hurt any of you. I don’t _want_ to. I need that power to find my brother and that’s _all_.”

“Why not use other methods? Why not ask Wooyoung?” Yeosang had Hehetmon tight in his grasp now, the little creature’s flower spinning at mention of the witch’s name.

Minho barked a laugh and rolled his eyes. “Even that witch doesn’t have the power to locate a suppressed vampire. My brother was taken by hunters and put under a spell that locked his magic, locked his signature, and it’ll take a hell of a lot of power to wake him up. I need to have the power to find him _and_ break the seal. Those butterflies are the only thing that can possibly hold enough power in them right now that’s easily accessible for me.”

Hongjoong understood magic, but not that much. But he knew that there was more to what Minho was saying than just finding Yeosang’s blue butterflies. There were surely _other_ magical sources. Perhaps vampires were simply blocked from them.

“You won’t get this world’s.” Felix stepped out of the building, phone in hand. His job was finished. “Leave.”

“Will you all stop? You keep repeating yourselves, it’s giving me a headache. Fine. You won’t give it to me, I’ll take it. Playtime is over.”

The second that Minho ran out to grab Seungmin, Hongjoong bolted forward to slash at the vampire’s hands. Minho hissed, baring his fans, his nails growing longer as he swiped up to block Hongjoong’s attack. In the real world, Seungmin was no longer the top demon, hidden in plain sight. He was a human again. Seungmin ran back to Felix, leaving Jongho and Hongjoong alone with Minho. Seonghwa stayed back, and Hongjoong hoped it was to keep Yeosang and the others safe.

When Minho turned, Hongjoong jumped back, gaining a little ground before pushing himself forward to attack again. Jongho was right behind him, moving to the side to try and get the up on Minho. The issue wasn’t just that he was a vampire, it was that he’d _lived_ a long time and had _trained_ a long time. A lot longer than either him or Jongho. So when they both swiped at him, Minho merely used his nails to block them, flipping himself back until he was a couple years away.

When Hongjoong lunged at him from above this time, Jongho ran and slid under, trying to get him from another angle. But the vampire’s reflexes were too fast, and he managed to jump back again, sending Jongho and Hongjoong’s swords clanking together.

Each and every time they went for him, Minho barely managed to get back. But he was consistently pushed back, farther and farther from the butterfly.

“This is annoying. You’re just getting in my way.” Minho pointed a finger towards the group, Hongjoong’s eyes narrowing as he watched the vampire. “I’ll go to the next work and take their butterfly if I must. It’ll be easier to obtain without you in my way. You better get stronger by the next time I see you. Because I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

The vampire snapped his fingers, opening a rift behind him that he slowly sunk into. And then, he was gone.

Hongjoong and Jongho, both panting, stood up straighter and sheathed their swords once more. Idiot vampire. At least the worlds were safe from him for now. Space Park and Giverny Town could at least begin to rebuild now that his reign of terror was over. They slowly walked back over to the group, and Hehetmon began bouncing up and down in Yeosang’s arms.

“The butterfly, It’s close! Hehet can feel it!”

“Right, where is it? The Oracle said it was hidden, but we didn’t know by who. Does Seungmin have it?” Jongho wiped the sweat from his forehead, walking himself right up next to Yeosang.

“Nope. Not me, actually. Felix has it.” Felix gave a little salute and pulled out his phone.

“It managed to get into the game, but the magic was messing with the coding. I managed to pull it out, but the signature remained. That error is how Minho managed to get in and mess with everything. I put the butterfly in a really tightly encrypted spot in our mainframe. The butterfly wasn’t in the game, nor was it out here. Kinda in limbo, really.”

A couple of things typed out into Felix’s phone later, and from one of the screens flew out the butterfly.

“Encrypting magical objects isn’t easy, but I’m glad I managed to do it.” Felix let the butterfly fall to his hand before nodding over to Yeosang. “This is yours, right?”

Hongjoong watched Yeosang smile and nod his head, though Seonghwa was the one who reached out to hold onto his shoulders. Sometimes, Yeosang would pass out for a little bit when he received the butterfly. Sometimes not. It was best for someone else to hold onto him while the butterfly was absorbed in case he passed out.

Hongjoong watched the scene he had seen a few times now, of Yeosang pressing the butterfly to his chest, closing his eyes as the magic rippled against his chest until the butterfly was gone. They all waited to see if Yeosang would pass out, and he stumbled, but Seonghwa kept him steady.

“I’m fine. I’m okay. Just a little dizzy.” Yeosang gave all of them, Jongho especially, a reassuring smile. Everything would be alright. Hongjoong gave a nod before he turned his attention to the other two.

“You two alright? There’s a… lot to rebuild here.”

“Oh, mate, we’re fine. The amusement park’s owners will start rebuilding now that Minho is gone, I’m sure. We’ve got backups of everything and we’re going to get everyone out before rebooting the system. I’ve got some ideas to keep the codes from being breached again, but we’ve got time.” Felix slung an arm around Seungmin’s shoulders. “No one will ever know he’s our top demon in the game. Pretty sneaky, huh? Demon is a human!”

“Regardless, thank you.” Seungmin gave them all a thumbs up. “I wish we could do more for you. Other than the butterfly. ‘Lix and I worked really hard to get this game operating, so to have you save it means the world to us.”

Hongjoong gave a warm smile and waved his hand at them. “The butterfly and making Yeosang happy and whole again are what mean the world to us. So thank you for the butterfly.”

“Well, if you ever come back, come find us, yeah? We’ll figure something out in the meantime to give you.” Felix smiled at them all. Hongjoong gave a nod before moving back to his group. Another world down, more worlds to find. Yeosang was looking less dizzy, which meant they were good to go.

They waved goodbye to their friends, not quite ‘new’, and gathered around Hehetmon. This time, instead of Yeosang clinging to Seonghwa, he was standing confidently next to Jongho. And Hongjoong, usually watching over Jongho, was standing right close to Seonghwa. It was nice when things worked out.

Hehetmon opened its sharp eyes, the familiar “ _Kyu_!” ringing out, as the flower on its head began to spin. As always, the ground below them gave way for the dark portal, the tendrils of magic coming to twist and envelope them, pulling them in and twisting until they were gone.

In an instant, they were off to their next world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, I apologize for Minho. Minho is such a good dude, but for this story he's an angsty vampire lol. Wait till you see him with his brother, then it'll be fine!
> 
> For the fic, I'm about halfway through writing it right now. Loooots of fun after this world. Ships getting together! I'm finally adding smutty stuff! A joy, really.
> 
> If there's anything you want to see or have explained, please just leave a comment!!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


	6. World: Hwandon Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a new chapter! Hwandon is going to be split up into two parts, the first being Yeosang and Jongho, the second Seonghwa and Hongjoong.
> 
> I'm excited. It's after this world that things start ramping up big time! The slow burn will be worth it!
> 
> Also, I couldn't help myself but to add in Monsta X. I needed some break in monotony with Stray Kids, but they'll be back soon!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Extra notes will be at the end!

~xXx~

Yeosang was glad that he at least knew how they got to this world, unlike last time.

When Hehetmon was finished transporting them, they were standing atop the rolling hills of this world’s countryside. It must have been early summer, surely. It was warm, sunny, but not overly so. Yeosang closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the summer breeze rolling over the hills whip through his hair and over his skin. It was heavenly.

Anthina, he remembered, he had to wear a scarf in order to keep the dust and sand from getting in his face. There were areas where food could be grown and cultivated, but traveling had shown him the most beautiful, grassy planes.

For a moment, after what they had just gone through, the entire group sat themselves down in the grass and let themselves _exist_.

Yeosang couldn’t imagine the fear that had gone through Hongjoong and Jongho’s minds when they discovered the café. He had seen the look in Jongho’s eyes, felt the way the younger’s fingers had gripped onto his shirt. Yeosang hated that he couldn’t remember Jongho. Jongho had apologized in the café for everything, but Yeosang understood. He knew that it was because he was hurting. That kind of pain of the heart was not something Yeosang could fix. But he wanted to try.

For Yeosang, he felt empty. Laying in the grass under the light of the sun, under an endlessly blue sky, Yeosang felt incomplete. How many worlds must they go to, how much fighting and pain would they endure? It was his fault, though they all told him it wasn’t. His bones felt hollow. His soul, empty, echoing the pain and fear he felt. Wooyoung had told him that the butterflies were part of his soul, and he would continue to feel empty until they were returned.

But when would he truly feel human again?

He was unsure when his eyes had closed, unsure of how much time passed as the sun warmed his skin. He let himself soak in the feeling of eternity, of a sky and sun that would never die, and let himself try to remember. Anything. Butterflies had been collected, absorbed, surely there was something entirely new. Not just clarifications for hazy memories, but new ones. Ones that were precious to him.

Of _Jongho_.

Nothing came to his mind. Like the expanse of the sky, Yeosang’s mind was empty. Black emptiness that seemed to never end, mocking him as he ran through it, trying to grasp onto anything he could. Tripping, stumbling, Yeosang clenched his eyes shut and forced his mind to simply _remember_.

Yeosang remembered his brother Yongsun, remembered Jaejin, he remembered the palace of marble carved from the surrounding mountains of the desert, of days spent running in the sun and speaking to those who called the kingdom their home. He could remember whining to Yongsun when he was given his lessons, could remember Jaejin cleaning his wounds when he was a kid and had fallen down the stairs of the palace, and he could remember a lot of the area of Anthina. But there was something blocking parts of his memory.

When he would attempt to remember the outer reaches of the kingdom, it was as though he was pressed against a mirror, the world simply reflecting back the same in all directions. Hands pressed to the glass; his mouth open as agony ripped through his vocal cords. Sinking to his knees in the sand, begging his mind to allow him past the gate. Fists banging against the impenetrable glass box his mind had placed him in, Yeosang’s eyes shot open.

He sat up, pulling his knees to his chest, and looked around for his hyungs. But they were nowhere to be found, actually. Hehetmon was playing in the grass nearby, having found a few wildflowers to make a crown with. By now that once vibrant sun had begun to golden, and it was probably late afternoon.

“Hehet, where are Seonghwa-hyung and Hongjoong-hyung?” The little creature turned its head around and bounced over to rest in front of Yeosang’s legs, its little mouth pulled into a smile.

“Hongjoong-pu said he recognized the village’s architecture! He wanted to go explore! Hwa-hwa said to let you two rest for a little while, so I’m standing guard!”

Both of them? Had they both been resting? Yeosang hadn’t paid attention. He turned his head to see that next to him, hidden in the grass, was Jongho. The youngest was fast asleep, head turned to the side, one hand over his stomach, the other resting atop of his chest. He looked peaceful when he slept. It was cute. Actually, Yeosang had never been this close to Jongho when he slept. Before, in other worlds, Yeosang had stayed with Seonghwa.

Jongho truly looked young when he slept, with the lines of worry gone from him, with his rosy lips just barely parted as he breathed, eyelashes casting gentle shadows onto his cheeks. Yeosang wondered if he was dreaming, or if he was lost in the peaceful sleep that came without dreaming.

Yeosang couldn’t remember Jongho, no. But there was something inside of him that was constantly _pulling_ Yeosang towards him. Even when he first woke up, seeing Jongho had felt comfortable, but he didn’t even _know_ him. That there was this string tied to them, unbreakable, that made sure Yeosang was always near him.

He could blame such feelings on the knowledge that Jongho had saved him and sacrificed everything for Yeosang to get his memories back. That would not explain the pull, though. There was a difference between being thankful and gratious for someone’s actions and your body willing you to stay close to something it had deemed a _safety_.

In all honesty, Jongho scared him a little. Such feelings for someone completely unknown to him was scary. Jongho meant no ill will, had only been soft, kind, and gentle towards him, but it was those very actions that made him _ache_ for the memories they shared. To know why Jongho looked at him as though he hung every star in the sky, had been the one to decorate the world in light and flowers, had brought the summer sun and winter sky to him. Yeosang wished for the memories of something he knew had been _love_.

Would that love return? Did he want it to because he felt deeply for Jongho, truly felt love for him, or because he wanted to ease the pain that he had caused the younger boy?

Yeosang reached his fingers out to brush some of Jongho’s hair back from his face but stopped himself before his fingertips could touch Jongho’s skin. He couldn’t get close—he couldn’t now, not when he couldn’t remember. He couldn’t get Jongho’s feelings up when he wasn’t sure how he felt. Knowing he longed for a little more was enough for Yeosang. For now. Because it felt _right_. It felt okay. And he would let that simmer in his heart.

“Hehet, we should go find the others, shouldn’t we? It’s been a little while.” Yeosang opened his arms for Hehetmon to come and cling onto his shirt. He was a little warm in his pants and longer sleeved shirt, he couldn’t imagine what Hongjoong and Seonghwa were feeling. They both had cloaked and wore black. Jongho wore black as well, but his shirt had short sleeves, at least. Though his green pants, lined with pockets, couldn’t be cool.

“Jongho.” Yeosang used one hand to hold Hehetmon still, the other moving to gently shake Jongho’s shoulder. “Jongho, come on. We’ve been asleep for a little while. We need to go find the hyungs.”

Jongho stirred, groaning in his sleep. He rubbed at his eyes, making Yeosang laugh under his breath, before the youngest finally sat up. He was glad they could have a minute to rest, though he felt bad that the others hadn’t. Such was being the two eldest, he supposed.

“How long have we been out?” Yeosang tried not to focus on what Jongho’s voice sounded like, still ragged from sleep as the boy messed with his hair.

“Not too long. It wasn’t quite afternoon when we got here. Maybe… two or three hours? It isn’t evening time yet. Not quite.” The youngest nodded at him, and both of them turned to look over the hills to the small village that Hongjoong said he could somewhat recognize the architecture of. Maybe it was a place much like his own. “They’re exploring down there. I thought we might want to go be with them.”

Jongho nodded his head, stretching himself awake. Yeosang had woken with a start, so he was a little more awake than the other. Blame it on his mind, really. He hoped Jongho had more peaceful dreams.

The two finally got up and began the slow walk down the hill, over another, until they finally reached the edge of the village. It seemed lively, in fact. Wooden structures completely unlike that of Giverny Town decorated with vibrant, beautiful paper lanterns, stalls of food and games lined up, people playing music, streamers, banners—were they having a festival? It smelled wonderful. It brightened Yeosang’s mood, making him forget the pain he had felt before.

“I love the clothes they wear here. They’d be too warm in Anthina, but… they’re beautiful.” The men wore such beautiful, yet simple robes, hats decorated with beads and charms, wearing looser pants, while the women wore beautiful dresses that had lovely little jackets on top, but were so wide and beautiful shaped in the skirt. They were all so colorful too—Yeosang had been used to the colors of the desert, and lately every world seemed so _colorful_ to him.

“Maybe we should find someone and ask them what’s going on? We stick out a little bit, I’m sure someone wouldn’t mind telling us.” Yeosang nodded and simply followed Jongho up to one of the stalls.

Oh, the food looked amazing too. The stall Jongho had walked up to was selling sweet smelling roasted nuts, which looked just as good as they smelled. While Jongho did the talking, Yeosang admired the food.

“Hi. We’re travelers coming through, could you tell us what festival this is? It’s really beautiful around here. We’d love to celebrate with you.”

The older woman behind the stall clapped her hands excitedly. She had gray hair fixed into a bun on the back of her head, the bun decorated with flowers and beads matching many of the ones Yeosang saw on other people, her outfit was a beautiful cream and sea-green color, though she wore a dark colored apron over it to keep it from being dirtied. Time had aged her face gracefully, and when she smiled, her eyes turned into half-moons. Yeosang liked her, and she hadn’t even spoken.

“My, what a handsome lad, of course I will! Tonight, _Hwandon_ celebrates the night the moon was almost taken from the sky. A great war was going on in Hwandon, each side fighting for the power the full moon held. You see, legend had said that capturing the moon using the magic from Hwandon’s sacred crystal from the goddess Hwasa would mean being granted one wish with no rules. Before the war the army was one under the generals _Hyungsik_ and his partner _Hyunseok_. Each ruled over different divisions but were peaceful. But things always happen.

One night the crystal was stolen from the temple, and a group of men rushed to their general to present the crystal to him. If he was to wish on the moon for eternal power, he could rule over Hwandon for all eternity. The great war began, and after months of fighting, it came to an end when one general gave his life to break the crystal and make sure no one could ever use it for evil. He and the other general stabbed one another at the same time in the end. Their souls, in the light of the broken crystal, ascended to the sky to become gods amongst the stars, reminding humanity even the gods must perish. The evil general’s army was exiled from Hwandon for quite some time.”

It was… quite the folk story. Yeosang had returned his attention to the woman as she spoke, but something wasn’t quite adding up. “Wait, which general was the evil one? Which one broke the crystal and gave his life up?”  
  
The woman rolled her eyes, surprising both Yeosang and Jongho, and pointed down the pathway towards the town’s center. “Oh, that’s the one bad thing about this holiday! We don’t know for sure because the records were lost! Eventually, after the general’s army was exiled, eventually a clan returned to the land to claim their place alongside their families who had stayed. Ever since, those two clans have been fighting every year on who the one in the right was! The other clans of Hwandon are sick of it, we just want to enjoy the holiday!”

Yeosang looked down the path and indeed saw something going on and wondered if, perhaps, that was where Seonghwa and Hongjoong were. People had begun gathering around whatever was going on, and Yeosang assumed it was a fight of some kind.

“We’ll check it out, thank you.” Jongho smiled and bowed to the woman, who waved her hands and quickly handed him a small container of the nuts she had been selling.”

“You two enjoy yourselves, free of charge! Don’t let those lunatics ruin your fun!”

Yeosang laughed and thanked her with a boy, taking some of the nuts into his hand as he walked off so he could hand a few secretly to Hehetmon, then popped a few into his mouth. Yeosang was hoping for a more relaxed day, but he had a feeling it was going to be all _but_ that.

“Hehet, can you feel a butterfly?” Yeosang spoke quietly, secretly to the little creature, who shook its head against Yeosang’s chest.

“No!” It tried to whisper, but more yell-whispered than anything else. “There’s no butterfly here!”

“Jongho, did you hear Hehet?” Yeosang looked over to the boy who nodded at him. “Well, maybe we can stay a little bit and enjoy ourselves before moving on. Eat some good food and rest. Maybe try and help the people here. I wonder… where the others are…”

Yeosang’s voice trailed off as they approached the town square. It was… a lot. Beautiful, colorful as everything else, but there were so many _people_.

The center was empty, save for two separate shrines, one to the east, one to the west, one a vibrant red, the other a vibrant green. Each made of wood, the architecture pointed and similar to the buildings that surrounded it. The ground was stone around them, like the pathways that led them to the center. The same colorful lanterns from around the stalls were strung across the beams of the buildings, there were still banners and people, but the energy here was _different_. Yeosang and Jongho pushed their way through the crowd to get to the front, attempting to try and catch a glimpse of the shrines.

Each one of these shrines contained beautiful stone statues of who Yeosang assumed were the two generals turned deities, as the woman’s story had told. Each had been given food and gifts, as one would expect, but what was striking were the people in front of them. The robes they wore… resembled that of soldiers, not of festival goers. But they wore no armor, no—the only armor was that of the general’s helmets placed before their shrines.

Between the two shrines the groups had gathered, a leader from each antagonizing the other. Yeosang was trying to hear what they were saying, but it was so _loud_.

“Every year we tell you it was Hyungsik who defiled the sacred bond by attempting to use the crystal, and we will continue every year until you accept your leader is nothing but a traitorous snake!” Hyungsik’s side, the side in red, screamed and raised their swords in agreement. The side in green, Hyunseok’s side, screamed against it, but their leader held a hand up to stop them.

“Your words are based on nothing but lies! You have no proof to say Hyungsik was innocent! Our clan has records stating we never left Hwandon! You have nothing to show for your clan’s past! Does that not say that you are, in fact, the exiled clan?!”

Around them the crowds began to roar. Whether they were part of either clan or not, the crowd screamed, wishing for a fight, for blood—and Yeosang found himself holding onto the edge of Jongho’s shirt as his eyes desperately scanned the crowd looking for—the hyungs!

“Jongho, over there! The crowd behind Hyunseok’s side!” Yeosang did not point out of fear of being called out by one of the groups but nodded his head towards where Seonghwa and Hongjoong both stood in the crowd. Their hyungs had not yet seen them, but Yeosang found comfort in knowing where they were.

“Stay quiet, for now. If things get out of hand Hongjoong-hyung and I can take them on. We’ll settle it before we leave.” Jongho’s hand, Yeosang noticed, went right to his sword’s handle. Yeosang nodded, turning his attention back to the groups before them.

“Proof? You believe that a piece of paper as old as time is truly telling of your clan’s past?! Anyone could have written it along the centuries to try and fool those in the future! Our clan has always lived in the same part of the countryside, never moving! Did your clan not move from the countryside into the town around the same time as the war?! Or are your records suddenly incorrect?!” Hyungsik’s side cheered again, and Yeosang was beginning to grow worried.

“We left to get away from your clan since you were trying to kill us! I’ve had it with you, all of you!” The leader of Hyunseok’s side pulled his sword from its sheath, the entire crowd gasping in surprise. “We settle this now, Minhyuk! No more centuries of our clans fighting! We settle this here and now!”

Minhyuk, the leader of Hyungsik’s side, pulled his hat from his head and threw it aside. His hair was blonder than even Yeosang’s was, his eyes sharp and deadly as the blade in his hand. He pulled his own sword out and pointed it to Hyunseok’s side. “Fine, Kihyun. We settle this like men. The blood shed here will prove the innocent party always wins!”

The sun had gone down over the horizon by then, the stars beginning to twinkle in the endless sky, the light of the full moon filling the world with light. The darkness only added to the fear that Yeosang felt building in his chest. They couldn’t let anyone _kill_ someone else over such a thing, could they? Yeosang looked over at Jongho, who only clenched his jaw, hand still tight around his sword’s handle. When Yeosang looked over to Hongjoong, he noticed the elder was also standing with his hand on his sword’s handle.

Kihyun pulled his own hat off, revealing dark, ink-black hair, his eyes even sharper and wild than Minhyuk’s. He was really going to do this, wasn’t he?

The two leaders’ groups backed up slowly, all unbelieving to the turn of events, but the two leaders stood with their swords pointing to one another, baring all of their frustration, centuries of anger, in their eyes. Their stances were strong, powerful, like tigers ready to pounce on their prey. Both predators made no move to attempt to circle the other, no, their eyes told of when they needed to strike.

And both struck at the same time.

What happened next was a blur. Jongho had immediately pulled out his sword to go and intervene, but the clanging of the sword wasn’t _normal_.

It was not the sound of the clashing of metal, nor had it been fast. The moment the two swords touched, thunder erupted from where they touched, such shockwaves blasting between the two that the wind from the shock forced both back against their groups. The sharp wind whipped around them, moving next to the crowds. Yeosang covered his eyes as the wind swept through the screaming crowd, and the very next thing he knew, lightning had struck the place they had stood—

And there was a beam of light erupting from the ground.

Yeosang had no idea what occurrence had just been triggered, but even he knew that it was magic. Some ancient, deep rooted magic, for reasons he was unsure. But suddenly there was a bright blue tunnel of light spreading from the night sky to the ground, and without a second thought Yeosang grabbed Jongho by the wrist and dragged him through the crowd over to Seonghwa and Hongjoong. They needed to be together for whatever this might mean.

“There’s a butterfly! There’s a butterfly up there!” Hehetmon wiggled in Yeosang’s arm, his little arms pointing to the sky. “I don’t know where it is, but it’s there!”

“Guess we have no choice, huh?” Hongjoong sheathed his sword and started walking towards the light without so much as a second thought, Seonghwa right on his heels. None of them had any idea what was going on, but they knew they needed to get the butterfly—and in turn, figure out what was going on. “We’ll go first. Make sure it’s safe. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“And we don’t know how long this is going to last. If we don’t act fast, we might miss our chance. I don’t sense anything dangerous from it and neither does Hehetmon. I say we try it.”

Seonghwa held onto Hongjoong’s shoulder as they walked into the beam of light, Yeosang holding onto Hehetmon and Jongho as they swiftly followed behind them. Maybe if they could solve the mystery of why the portal of light opened, they could help ease some of Hwandon’s concerns. Maybe they could bring the clans to peace without Minhyuk and Kihyun killing one another.

Standing in the light, letting themselves be forced to whatever world was attached to it, Yeosang could hear… a voice.

The voice sounded like it was three voices in one, speaking barely off from each other, and despite its low tone was as soft as the summer winds from earlier that day. It felt like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere, filling his mind as the light all around blinded him. When Yeosang tried to open his mouth to ask if Jongho could hear it, he found he couldn’t. All of his senses were blocked: except his hearing. From everything and nothing, he heard the words:

**_“ Fix what has been broken. “_ **

\---

Jongho was getting a little tired of waking up in grass, honestly. It was fun at first, but they almost exclusively entered worlds by appearing in grass.

Jongho had, truly, no idea what had just occurred. From the thunderous boom of the swords to this beam of light that contained one of Yeosang’s butterflies, it felt like the wonderous afternoon napping in the sun was a distant memory. Sharing nuts and walking through the street felt like it had been hours before, instead of right before. Both of them were standing in the grass of… the very hill that had arrived at when they got to Hwandon?

But it was different this time.

It was nighttime still, but there were far fewer buildings in the village than before. No banners, no lanterns. It was silent. The kind of silence that creeped under your skin, the kind that made you look over your shoulder at every possible second. Eerie, isolating. Jongho looked around himself but saw no sign of their hyungs anywhere. Yeosang was sitting in the grass next to him, Hehet still in his grasp.

“Can’t feel them! Can’t sense Hwa-hwa and Joongie!” Hehet climbed up onto Yeosang’s head, his eyes opening wide as he tried to scan them out, but… they were out of Hehet’s range, if they had made it.

“Oh no.” Yeosang spoke quietly when the creature floated back down into his lap. “What if they got sent somewhere else? What if they’re in another world? They can’t communicate— what if they’re stuck?”

Jongho knew Seonghwa wasn’t going to use his magic. That was a given. He had, on multiple occasions, merely pushed the subject away and ignored it when the subject of his magic was brought up. Jongho had no idea why. But he had noticed quickly that while Seonghwa claimed it was ‘more fun not to’ to tease Hongjoong, the fake smiles and cold looks in his eye multiplied greatly when magic was mentioned.

You couldn’t get near Seonghwa’s heart, though. Nor his mind. He had carefully guarded off the most intimate parts of himself, leaving only the surface layer for the group to get to know and work with. Maybe that was why it had been so easy for Yeosang to grow close to Seonghwa. Seonghwa’s emotions were trained, like a fine-tuned instrument, one that was capable of watching other’s emotions and knowing how to respond accordingly.

At what cost, though? At what cost to his magic, his well-being? His relationships? Would Seonghwa use his magic if faced with the fear that they were alone and abandoned in a world whose language they did not know, separated from their group, completely thrown off the path of the journey?

Jongho wasn’t certain if Yeosang had noticed, but Seonghwa had been uncomfortable standing in the crowd behind Hyunseok’s people. Not once had he been staring at the crowd before him, nor the leaders as they had begun to battle. Seonghwa’s eyes had been trained on the shrines. Seonghwa’s eyes glossed over with _fear_. Jongho had seen fear in Seonghwa’s eyes. He saw it every single time the man smiled. But nothing like the fear he saw staring at Hyungsik and Hyunseok’s shrines.

If he had been that fearful to look at the statues, there was no way he was going to use his magic to find them.

“We need to figure out what happened to us. What happened back in Hwandon that made that portal open up.” Jongho reached a hand over to help Yeosang up out of the grass, to which the older boy thanked him quietly. “Figure out just what universe we’ve stepped into.”

Yeosang silently nodded, a silence filling the space between them before Yeosang spoke again. “Did you hear the voice? In the portal?”  
  
A voice? When Jongho shook his head no, he noticed Yeosang’s shoulders deflating a little, his voice grower quieter. “I have no idea what it was. It sounded so far away, but it felt like it was coming from nowhere and everywhere. It was the strangest feeling.”

“What did it say?”  
  
Yeosang held his head down, eyes peering at Hehetmon’s flower as he spoke. “All it said was _‘fix what has been_ _broken’_ before we ended up here. It lasted for just a second.”

Fix what had been broken? Had Minhyuk and Kihyun… broken something when they started fighting? Jongho hadn’t noticed anything between them, but maybe it wasn’t something that could be physically broken. Like a law, or a bond. Something without physical form. Is that why the portal opened? For someone to go and… fix it?

“Hehetmon said there’s a butterfly here, so maybe _it_ opened the portal?” Neither one of them quite knew what to do, but they knew they had to get to the village. It was going to be their only way to understand exactly where they were. “Let’s go. Yeosang, stay close. In case anything else happens.”

They walked much slower through the grassy planes of the hills by Hwandon, creeping slowly, surely, until they reached the gate. The streets were entirely empty, but the buildings looked… _newer_ in a way. Less of them, but they weren’t old like before. The streets weren’t stone, either. They were simply smoothed out ground. It was Hwandon, but… not. Jongho stayed in the shadows as much as he could as they creeped around.

“I hear something.” They were sitting in an alleyway between buildings, Jongho peering out from the side. “Like men talking. Hold on. Stay here.”

Yeosang looked like he wanted to protest, even opened his mouth to speak, but swiftly shut it. Jongho had the sword, he could defend himself. Hongjoong had taught him how to in Giverny Town’s forest.

He crouched down, slowly sliding in the shadows from around the building, trying not to make a sound as he approached—it was the center. The sounds were coming from the center. He hurried behind a close by building, just close enough to where he could hear the sounds of someone talking.

“… Hyungsik really thinks he’s going to use that gem and take over, huh? Not if Hyunseok gets ahold of him.” Soldiers in green. Soldiers in old uniforms too—Hyunseok’s men. “Can’t believe his men were seriously dumb enough to take it from the temple.”

“Hyunseok’s gonna teach him a lesson, though. Heard the guys mention it earlier—full moon is tonight, right? Only time for that gem to be used. Heard Hyunseok’s got most of our guys in the hills already. Hyungsik thinks he’s had enough time to plan in the countryside, he’s got no idea what he’s got coming.”

Wait. The woman at the stand had said this happened centuries before—were they in the past? Had that beam been a portal to transport them to the past? It made sense now. What that voice had told Yeosang. To fix what had been broken. To find out what really happened. Something triggered the portal, and he still wasn’t sure what magic could _do_ that, but he had a good feeling it was a butterfly. Who had sent for them, or if it was a spell that had been awoken, Jongho didn’t know. But now that he knew what they had to do.

Jongho pushed himself back further into the alley, turning to leave, when he was suddenly grabbed by the neck and shoved up against the wall. The youngest attempted to kick at his attacker, strong hands trying to claw the man’s arm away from him.

“Guys! We’ve got a spy over here!” Jongho, on his toes, struggling to breath, worried in that moment for Yeosang. He heard the sounds of the two other soldiers hurrying over to where they were, and from the corner of his eye he saw the glint of a sword. Fuck, fuck he had to—he had to find Yeosang.

“Drop him, Jooheon.”

The man holding onto him dropped Jongho back to the ground, the boy coughing as three swords were suddenly thrust at his face. The one who had spoken was right in front of him, and from under the helmet he could see the man glaring down at him.

“How many of you did Hyungsik send?” The man’s voice was firm, low, and somewhat emotionless. He was the tallest of the three around him, Jongho noticed. An alpha of sorts. Jongho finished coughing and held his hands up, remembering if he were to grab his sword, they wouldn’t hesitate to attack.

“No one sent me. I’m not from around here, I promise!” The swords did not waver. The men did not look at one another. No one believed him.

“Then why are you lurking around the corner?”

“Wouldn’t you be careful if you saw soldiers carrying swords walking around?” The one in the middle, the one who spoke, narrowed his eyes further.

“Jooheon would not have grabbed you had you not been eavesdropping.” The third, who had been quiet, spoke that time. He was firm, but his voice was lighter than the one in the middle. “Maybe if he won’t tell us the truth, he’ll tell Hyunseok.”

“Hyungwon, we’re not going to waste Hyunseok’s time by asking him to interrogate a child.” Jooheon, the one who had grabbed him, didn’t take his eyes off of Jongho. As strong as Jongho was, for a moment, he was scared. Where was Hongjoong? Where was Seonghwa? God, and he’d left Yeosang by himself in that alley.

A million thoughts were running through Jongho’s head. The fear of what might happen to them at the hand of one of these generals, of him leaving Yeosang, Yeosang never knowing he was captured, Jongho being away from Hehetmon and not knowing the language—not knowing what those who could harm him were saying to him. He had to try and find Yeosang, he had to get away and get _them_ away. They needed to use Hehet to find Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

As the men were talking about just what they were going to do with him, Jongho saw out of the corner of his eye, Yeosang, peeking around the edge of the building. No—not now. Jongho widened his eyes a little, trying to communicate for Yeosang to run, but the boy didn’t listen. Instead, he watched Yeosang pull back, then jump out, holding rocks in his hands.

“Let him go!” Jongho felt like he was watching the scene in slow motion. Yeosang was throwing rocks he found at the men who had their swords pointed at Jongho. The men were obviously surprised and confused, and they turned their attention away long enough for Jongho to quickly run by them and over to where Yeosang was. “Run, we need to run!”

Oh, if only it had been that easy. To run once they were away from those men. In an instant, someone had jumped down from one of the roofs, right behind them, and grabbed the both of them by the back of their shirts. Jongho hadn’t even _noticed_ that there was a fourth man.

The soldier who had been the one in the center nodded his head at the fourth man and kept his sword at his side as he walked over.

“No one gets by us. Nice try, though. Thanks, Wonho.” The man holding them just laughed under his breath.

“Anything for our fearless leader. I agree with Hyungwon though, Shownu, I think these little spies need to be taken to Hyunseok. He’s got time before tonight. Especially since they probably have information on Hyungsik.”

Jongho tried to struggle against the man’s hold, but his fingers were _tight_ on his collar. “I told you, we _aren’t_ spies! We aren’t from here!” Yeosang was silent beside him, and Jongho wondered if Hehetmon was hiding now in the small backpack on Yeosang’s back. He didn’t know what they’d do if they took the bag or inspected it. They couldn’t leave. Not with Yeosang’s butterfly still here, not with what was going on in the present.

“Just take them to Hyunseok.” Hyungwon waltzed up, Jooheon at his side. “We needed to get back there anyways. We have quite the night ahead of us.”

All eyes looked to Shownu, and Jongho wondered if he was the sort of leader of their group. They didn’t seem to do anything he disagreed with. Jongho didn’t find these men particularly dangerous, but it was their potential for violence, for what they were leading them to, that made him fearful of them.

Shownu, saying nothing, just nodded his head. With that simple nod, every man grouped around him, and the two were being dragged off to wherever Hyunseok was. Yeosang was still silent, and Jongho wondered if he felt regret, or if he was allowing the younger to take the lead in speaking to these men since he was a little more forward. Regardless, as they walked through the streets and towards the rolling hills surrounding Hwandon, through a part of the village they hadn’t seen before, Jongho had time to think.

They had been talking before Jongho got noticed about how it was Hyungsik’s men who had stolen the gem. Meaning that Hyunseok’s clan was in fact the one that must have put a stop to Hyungsik, making him the hero of this story. Was that not enough to get the butterfly and head back? Hyungsik and his men were going to use the crystal tonight, but tonight was the final battle. So Hyunseok would give his life to stop the both of them and Hyungsik’s men would be exiled for some time.

So, there must be more to the story than what legend was telling them happened, right? Else something… would have happened. Or, maybe, they needed to find Hongjoong and Seonghwa first.

It was very clear to Jongho when they approached the camp that there was something very, very big coming. Men were yelling, scurrying around to get armor, supplies, their weapons—torches lit the entire main road, surrounded by the tents of the soldiers, until it stopped at a rather large green tent at the very end. It was far more elaborate than the rest. This… must be Hyunseok’s tent.

“Wonho, you stay out here with them. I’m going to tell Hyunseok what happened.” Shownu turned and looked to Jooheon and Hyungwon. “Go get ready for tonight. No need to waste more time.”

All of them nodded, and Shownu disappeared into the tent. Leaving Yeosang and Jongho alone with the man holding them tight by the back collars of their shirts. Jongho glanced over to see Wonho had bunched up the back of Yeosang’s shirt, given the cream-colored material’s looseness. He had taken that into account, huh? He must have noticed Jongho’s sword as well but hadn’t taken it from him. Why?

“You two suddenly got pretty quiet on the way here. Worried now that you’ve been caught? Hyunseok won’t kill you. Not that kind of guy.” Well, there was something comforting in Wonho’s words, but Jongho was still nervous.

“I told you, we aren’t spies. If we were spies, Yeosang would have a sword too. He used rocks to distract you.” Jongho looked over and caught Yeosang’s eye. He was weary, but he wasn’t terrified. Yeosang was an incredibly strong person. The more memories he gained, the stronger his soul became again. The more he remembered what a strong and stable person he was. “True spies would have killed themselves upon being caught. We’re just kids trying to find out friends.”

Wonho hummed, just a buzzing noise in his throat, but said nothing to them. Given what little Jongho knew about final battle between Hyungsik and Hyunseok, he knew they were probably all on edge. All of them knew with the full moon, it had to end. One side had to win.

Shownu emerged from the tent to motion for Wonho to bring them in. They were brought before a man, situated in a chair, and were forced to kneel down in front of him. Jongho had kept his head down until Wonho released him and he heard the two soldiers exit.

Then, he looked up to see Hyunseok.

He resembled the statue Jongho had seen in present-day Hwandon. A man of great height, with his black hair in a bun on the top of his head. He had no facial hair, and the wrinkles of time were clear on his face. But his eyes were sharp, _alert_. He was thinner than Jongho had imagined he would be, even with the armor covering his body. His helmet sat perched in his lap, his sword standing tall beside him.

Jongho noticed how pale the man looked. Was he sick? Was he up to fighting such a final battle, to end such a war? Was he truly the great hero that had stopped Hyungsik?

“I have been told you were spying on my men. I had not expected youths like you to be the ones Hyungsik would send.” His voice was rough, but light in tone. Instead of fear, Jongho found himself feeling more concern than anything else for the man. Yeosang had also looked up, his hands moving to fold in his lap. Jongho felt relieved that he wasn’t trying to hold onto his backpack for Hehetmon.

“Sir, I promise, we’re not spies. If you’ll allow me to explain, I can tell you exactly why we’re here. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but please let me try. It’s important.”

Hyunseok looked from Jongho’s pleading eyes to Yeosang, who merely nodded eagerly at what Jongho had said. With his gaze still sharp, his hands positioned one on his sword and one on his helmet, Hyunseok nodded.

“Proceed.”

Jongho took in a deep breath to calmly collect his thought. He had to explain this as best as he could.

“Our names are Jongho and Yeosang. We’re from a world called Anthina, where Yeosang is the prince. Some magical event was triggered, and he lost all his memories, so we’ve been sent on a journey to collect them. They look like blue butterflies. We’ve been traveling worlds for a while now, and we got to Hwandon and something… happened. We were sent back in time to _this_ Hwandon. We’re from the future, far past this time. Yeosang heard a voice telling him to ‘fix what had been broken’ and we don’t know what that means—but we’re here to fix whatever happened in this time that has messed up the future.”

Jongho glanced to Yeosang, who had his eyes trained on Hyunseok. “We’ve also lost our friends. They entered the portal to get here before we did. We have no idea where they are. We just want to get the butterfly and figure out what’s going on.” Jongho didn’t outright mention Hehetmon yet. Because he might have ended up being their way out of something dangerous.

Hyunseok narrowed his eyes and sat back in his chair, a thin hand coming up to stroke over his chin. Before he could speak, Yeosang’s deep voice filled the air.

“It was _your_ voice I heard.” His tone was filled not with authority, but of _amazement_. “Mixed with a woman’s and another man’s voices. Echoing to fix what happened. Did you call for us?”

Jongho was worried Hyunseok was going to say something or do something terrible, but he only eyed Yeosang as the prince looked at him. He was surprised, it seemed, but not overly so. Such a thing made Jongho so unbearably curious to know what was going on in his head.

“I have called for no one. You speak of your butterflies. There is a mysterious blue butterfly here, yes.” Both of the boys sat up even straighter. “I have witnessed it. I am aware of where it is as well. I can tell you speak the truth. You,” He pointed towards Jongho, “speak fondly of your prince. Your true goal is the butterfly, I see this. I am the only person in this world who knows of it. I will trust that is your goal. If you want it, there is something I require of you.”

Yeosang and Jongho both nodded, a little worried to know what he needed, but were willing to do whatever it took. It was Yeosang’s soul on the line.

“I am not as strong as I once was. My men fight for me, do as I say. Tonight, is my last chance to stop Hyungsik before he destroys everything we know. You know the outcome of tonight. I need you to help me make sure Hyungsik does not succeed. In return, I will let you go and give to you your butterfly.”

Jongho… was unsure of the terms. Because it would mean meddling in time and space. And Wooyoung had mentioned that it could tear rifts in the worlds if not done properly. However, if they only gave hints, which they themselves basically only knew, they could easily prevent such rifts from occurring. And they could get the butterfly, find Seonghwa and Hongjoong, and fix whatever they could in the present.

“… Okay. Okay, we can do that.” Jongho nodded his head, sitting himself down a little more relaxed. “We can tell you what we know. And make sure nothing bad happens.” Because Jongho didn’t believe someone that looked as weak as Hyunseok was actually the bad guy, nor was he capable of being the bad guy.

Hyunseok smirked, his hands coming together, clapping, before he placed his helmet onto his head. It was then, seeing the general completely put together, that Jongho realized he really, really was about to witness a _battle_. One with supernatural consequences. And he and Yeosang were about to be placed in the middle of it.

What had he just agreed to?

“Excellent. I will have you suited up by Shownu and Jooheon before you join us. We will be leaving further towards the mountains soon. It is there Hyungsik has prepared his troops. Where the moon would be the clearest for him.” Hyunseok stood from his chair and beckoned both of them to stand, and as soon as they did, Jongho noticed Yeosang took a step closer towards him.

“Follow me.”

\---

Yeosang was, of course, very unnerved with this all. Being essentially kidnapped to the camp, then bribed to give information—it didn’t sit well with him. But what all could they really do? Hyunseok knew of the butterfly and where it actually was. And he might also be their only hope to find Seonghwa and Hongjoong. They all entered the portal, there was no way that it led them anywhere else. Were they trying to find them too?

“Jongho.” Yeosang clutched onto the edge of the boy’s black shirt long enough to get his attention as Hyunseok led them out towards the tents, presumably where Jooheon and Shownu would get them armor and something for Yeosang to carry for protection. “I’m worried. About this. About Seonghwa and Hongjoong. I know it was Hyunseok’s voice that I heard. One of the voices. I don’t think he’ll harm us, but something feels off.”

Jongho looked back at him with a soft smile on his lips. “Everything in all of these worlds feels off to me. I’m accepting that. We’re tough. We can survive whatever is thrown at us.”

Well, he _did_ have a point. They all felt weird, Yeosang had just thought it was him thinking that. It was strange. The entire premise of the journey. Why they were doing this—what had caused the event Jongho said made him lose his memory? Was it the same kind of magic as what had happened in Hwandon?

Hyunseok walked to the two who had brought them to the camp and explained briefly to get them into armor and send them back to him. They nodded without a word, bowing to their general, before ushering the two over.

“I suppose you weren’t spies after all.” Shownu glanced their way as he knelt down in front of a chest, sorting through pieces that would fit the two smaller men. Jooheon was sitting beside him on a stool, sharpening his own sword.

“Good thing we brought them anyway. Apparently, you guys are going to help Hyunseok win this.” Jooheon placed his sword in its sheath, placing the weapon on the ground, and motioned for them to follow him a little bit further into the tent. “Weapons are a little scarce, but I have a small sword you can use.”

Yeosang nodded and watched Jooheon pull a shorter, thinner sheathed sword from one of the other chests, which he promptly tossed over to Yeosang. He tied it around his waist, much like Jongho always had his.

“You all knew I had a sword, right?” Jongho was standing next to Shownu as the taller man helped him with a breastplate. “Why did none of you take it from me?”

“Because it wouldn’t have been fair. If you fought us, given you’re clearly younger than us, if we fight—we fight fairly.” Jooheon picked up the other breastplate that had been for Yeosang so he could hurry and suit the boy up. “Wonho especially. If you fought back and it was unfair, what’s the point?”

Yeosang watched Jongho raise an eyebrow, clearly surprised that they would be concerned with the _fairness_ of fighting. “I figured you wouldn’t care about if it was fair or not. Isn’t the point to just win? Do what you can to win?”

“That’s what Hyungsik and his men are like.” Shownu closed the chest after retrieving two helmets, which he handed to each of them. “They fight like animals. Power and brutality are what they’re all about. We’re about fairness. Winning and power that comes from a true, even, fair fight. And it isn’t something you hold over someone’s head. Hyungsik, if he and his men win, it’ll be the end of that. He’s a brutal man. He stole that gem to assure he would have all the ruling power for himself.”

“And nothing will be fair. Everyone will be under his thumb.” Jooheon picked his sword back up and tossed Shownu his own. “For our families, for us, we have to make sure Hyunseok wins. That fairness will still be what reigns around here. Our clans all work together and rule together. But Hyungsik’s clan is wanting to rule them all, right? I know he’ll push that power beyond Hwandon. And no one will be able to stop him.”

Yeosang, when he first approached these men earlier in the night, he had thought they were terrifying. Men who wanted to express their power and kill them. He saw now, even as aggressive as they had been towards Jongho, they were _desperate_. They only acted so ferociously to them because they were desperate to keep their families and their lives safe. That was… something Yeosang could sympathize with.

Jongho seemed to understand as well. From what little Yeosang knew about Jongho, he could tell he was a very forgiving and kind person. He had a pure heart. And he was going to help these men, even after they held him against their swords and kidnapped him.

Yeosang smiled softly at Jongho before turning his attention back on the older two.

“Sorry, again, there’s not a lot to spare right now. But a good helmet and breastplate will do wonders for you.” Shownu actually smiled a little at them, but outside there was a horn being blown, and the two men were very suddenly standing at attention. “Time to move out. Let’s get you back to Hyunseok.”

Yeosang, once again, found himself with his fingers curled into the edges of Jongho’s shirt as Shownu and Jooheon led them out to Hyunseok, who was sitting high on his horse. They left to get into formation, with Yeosang and Jongho standing to the left of Hyunseok’s horse, the other generals mounting their own behind him.

“As we walk towards the mountains, you will tell me what you know of tonight. You will assure our victory.” Hyunseok began to move forward, Yeosang and Jongho just trailing beside of him. At the edge of the camp, all of the soldiers were in their formations, waiting to be led by their leader. It was fascinating as much as it was terrifying. Yeosang could only hope, perhaps, that their intervening would save lives.

It was in that moment that Yeosang noticed his hands were shaking. That reality was finally catching up to him, that they were in _armor_ about to head into a _battle_. Yeosang had been trained a little bit with a sword, as any prince, but Yongsun hadn’t taught him enough for a real _war_. Hongjoong had also barely trained Jongho as it was—neither of them was going to make it through this if they weren’t careful and didn’t cooperate.

Hehetmon was still curled up quiet in his bag, which surprised Yeosang, but he wondered if the little being was trying to locate Seonghwa and Hongjoong with every step they took. The little creature loved to play and tease but knew when it was time to be serious. Next world Yeosang would make sure Hehet could play.

Hyunseok made a short speech to his men about valor, about how important tonight was, and that he believed in them. A rallying speech to make sure their energy and spirits were up. Once they went out there, they had to win. There was no ‘next time.’ It was either end the war now or suffer at someone else’s hands.

“Speak.” Hyunseok motioned to Jongho as he turned his horse to walk towards the mountains, the soldiers walking behind everyone else on horseback. “It’s now or never.”

“Right.” Jongho gave a short nod and Yeosang watched as the younger placed his hand steady on his sword. “We don’t know much. But one thing that’s clear is no one really knows what happened to you and Hyungsik. There were rumors one gave their life to stop the other from using the gem. Which would mean you were alone when it ended, and someone stumbled on you. I think… we heard that the loser’s men were exiled but came back. Now the two sides fight and argue over who were exiled and who moved willingly to the country before coming back. It’s pretty convoluted. Neither side has solid proof of what happened. Just which side their families are on”

“Before we left, they were fighting. The two heads of each side were.” Yeosang spoke up this time, voice low and deep. “They decided to fight to the death, and whoever won the battle would clearly be on the right side. When their swords hit for the first time, that’s what triggered something that opened the portal here. We have no idea if they’re currently fighting in our time or what’s happened.”

Hyunseok was quiet for a moment, contemplating what they had told him. Yeosang had noticed in the tent, but especially now, how weary the man looked. He was sick, Yeosang knew that much. But he wondered… why he was still pushing forward, when anyone else could have taken his place. Why was it necessary for a weakened man to finish the war?

“So, it will be imperative for me to get Hyungsik alone. I assume he will be heading into the mountains alone or with two bodyguards once we arrive. I would expect nothing less. He will not waste time fighting when he can achieve his goal alone.” Hyunseok glanced down at them. “You are not fit to be bodyguards. But I will have you go with me to keep you from the battle. You’re no good to me if you’re dead.”

His words were sharp, piercing Yeosang’s heart, but he was at least going to keep them away from harm. That made him feel a slight bit less nervous. Being there also meant they would know exactly what was about to happen. Meaning they could possibly fix what had been broken, and arrive back in modern Hwandon, with Yeosang’s butterfly. They could end the possibility of another war.

When they reached the base of the mountains, right past the rolling hills, there was a dip where Yeosang could see the lit torches of Hyungsik’s army. Hyunseok turned to his other generals and alerted them he would be taking a back path up towards the mountain, where there was a plateau that had a good view of the moon. How had Hyunseok known that was where Hyungsik was going to be?

It seemed too easy. For Hyunseok to know where to go, to not be surprised at knowing they were the only two who witnessed what happened between them. Yeosang knew that Jongho was thinking similarly. The younger was always hyperaware of everything going on. He’d probably come to that same decision himself.

They were quiet and careful as Hyunseok rode up the mountain, Jongho and Yeosang trailing beside of him. Yeosang couldn’t hear anything, hadn’t noticed any movement yet. But as they began nearing the plateau, he could see people in the distance. Why was Hyunseok not making more of a move to be quiet?

That was when he noticed Hyungsik. A man of long black hair, a black beard to match, sitting atop his horse watching them. He too made no move to keep himself quiet. Nor did he lash out to attack them.

What the hell was happening?

It was when they had reached Hyungsik in the center of the plateau between mountains that he noticed them. That Yeosang’s heart began racing in his chest as he grabbed Jongho’s shoulder and pointed to the two guards standing on either side of the other general’s horse. One holding a large bow and arrow, one a familiar sword.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

Seonghwa’s hair had become longer, especially in the front where his bangs were, but the sides of his head had at one point shaven off but had grown back a bit. Hongjoong’s hair in the front was a little longer, but he was wearing it back in a longer ponytail than Yeosang remembered. They looked good. Yeosang had worried for their wellbeing, but they looked _stronger_.

“They’re here! They’re ok!” Yeosang moved to stand in the front alongside Jongho, watching as their hyungs waved at them. But didn’t move forward yet.

“Took you two long enough to get here!” Hongjoong called to them, sword resting on his shoulder.

“We’ve been here the entire night!” Jongho yelled back, a little confused, but Yeosang figured Hongjoong was just teasing them.

“Ah, it’s good to understand again.” Seonghwa sighed, his one free hand rubbing at his neck. “I missed Hehetmon quite a lot.”

Yeosang looked over at Jongho, who mirrored his confusion. “Hyung, what are you talking about? What’s going on?”

Seonghwa smiled a little, glancing to Hongjoong first before speaking. “We entered the portal first. Time doesn’t always work very linear when entering and exiting worlds, and I had assumed while traveling within the same world that everything would be fine.”

“We entered only a few seconds before you. But we’ve been here, alone, in Hyungsik’s camp, for six entire months. No Hehetmon for the language barrier either.”

Six months.

“You’re lucky my language was close enough that I could understand them after a week.” Hongjoong scoffed. They seemed closer. Six _months_? What had happened here between them in six months that they were comfortable around one another?”

Yeosang held a hand over his mouth in disbelief. Six entire months of no language, in a camp alone, wondering where they were. Surely, at some point, they had believed they were alone. Seonghwa’s knowledge of magic would mean he knew they would come eventually, but it could have been years— _decades_ before they showed up.

Hyunseok and Hyungsik had said nothing. The entire time they had just been watching one another. Not out of anger, but… bitterness, perhaps. Sadness for what was happening. They were allowing them to speak, and no one was attacking. Yet.

“I believe the time has come, Hyunseok.” The voice of Hyungsik tore through the air, a much stronger, deeper voice than Hyunseok’s. The second male voice Yeosang had heard. “For us to finally end this.”

“You cannot fix what has occurred by breaking sacred rules, Hyungsik. Not for anyone. I cannot allow you to use that gem.” Hyunseok still sounded weak, but he was firm, just as he had been with Jongho and Yeosang in the tent. “You cannot fix what has happened to me.”

This visibly made Hyungsik angry. The man scowled, his fist raising till he could point a finger towards the man. “After all we’ve been through, what we could still go through, you won’t allow me to fix this?!”

What they had been through? Yeosang and Jongho moved away from the horse as Hyunseok began to dismount, watching with wide eyes as Hyungsik mimicked his movements, walking until they met in the center of the area between the two sides. In the distance, Yeosang could hear the rallied yells of war.

Yeosang saw, then, glowing from a pouch on Hyungsik’s side, was the gem from the goddess Hwasa’s temple. When Yeosang glanced up, he could see similar confusion written all over their hyung’s faces. So, they didn’t understand either. Of course, leave it to their Hongjoong to break the tension.

“What the hell is going on here? What are you two talking about?”

Hyunseok’s eyes narrowed, much did Hyungsik’s. But it was Hyungsik who answered the question.

  
“Hyunseok has been my lover since we were young.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or anything you'd like to see, feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> There are some scenes in chapters that I mention but haven't written just because I'm going to write drabbles of them when everything is over!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! See you next week!!


	7. World: Hwandon Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to: the seongjoong chapter I've been waiting for. Background! More flashbacks! Friday there will be an interlude that I've been waiting for too!
> 
> After this chapter and the next, things will real start to rev up. I'm excited!
> 
> Thank you as always for reading! More notes will be at the end!

~xXx~

When Seonghwa stepped out of the portal, he noticed they were near the mountains. In their brief time in Hwandon, he had seen them in the distance, looming over the horizon beyond. Color him surprised to have immediately walked over to them. Hongjoong was right beside of him, but the children—weren’t there. The portal was gone, and the kids weren’t with them. Shit, he should have known the portal was going to fuck with time.

They were a few seconds behind, but in terms of time magic… it could be minutes, days, weeks, years—even centuries before they caught up. And that anxiety was already burning Seonghwa to the tips of his fingers. Before he realized—Hehetmon wasn’t there. The way out, the interpreting magic, it was all gone.

“Hongjoong.”

Seonghwa watched the other run a hand through his hair, examining the area around them. _“Alright, I guess we’re still in Hwandon, but I have no idea how we ended up here and not in the town square again. Are we still in Hwandon?”_

Seonghwa _froze_. The children really weren’t here. He couldn’t understand a word Hongjoong was saying. The other gave him a funny look, saying something else, but Seonghwa just sternly shook his head.

“I can’t understand you. The children aren’t here, I don’t have interpreting magic. I don’t know any spells like that.”

It was Hongjoong’s turn to be shocked. He looked at Seonghwa as though he had grown three heads. _“What are you saying? Why are you talking like that?”_

“Hongjoong.” Seonghwa’s tone was softer, stern, but concerned. Like he was gently trying to tell the man they could no longer communicate with one another. Hongjoong took a few minutes before his own eyes widened.

_“Hehetmon. Hehetmon isn’t here.”_ Seonghwa understood only the little creature’s name, which meant Hongjoong had finally caught on. He simply shook his head no. _“Can’t you do something? Mage, you’re the only person here with magic! We are we?!”_

Seonghwa stepped back as Hongjoong rushed into his personal space, obviously beginning to freak out, his smaller hand going to grip the front of Seonghwa’s white shirt. He smacked the hand away as it neared him, both of them standing in silence, eyes locked on, both beginning to truly fear that they had done something wrong by entering into that portal.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. Can you understand me?” Seonghwa watched, hoping for some trickle of recognition in the other’s eyes, but he only seemed like he was angry that he couldn’t understand him. Hongjoong didn’t move, but his eyes hadn’t left Seonghwa’s gaze. It was… something. But he couldn’t understand. With his heart racing in his chest, Seonghwa licked his lips and spoke again.

“I can’t use magic here, you don’t understand. I can’t use magic anywhere. I can’t—I can’t get us out of here. I could, but I _can’t_.”

Hongjoong only narrowed his eyes and finally turned away, his hand running through his hair. _“I don’t know why you’re talking to me. I can’t understand you anyways.”_

When Hongjoong started walking off, presumably to discover exactly where they were, and Seonghwa was helpless but to follow. There was something in his bones, vibrating in his blood, that told him it had been a mistake to come. But especially without the children. If Hongjoong hadn’t gone in so quickly—Seonghwa had _barely_ gotten a hand on him when he had entered the portal. If they had all been separated, the journey would be for nothing.

The area was definitely Hwandon’s landscape. But Seonghwa couldn’t see a village. Not where they were, in a small dip between the mountains and the hills. Perhaps Hongjoong had seen something and that was why he was hurrying through the forest.

Maybe he was running away from him. Because Seonghwa was infuriating to him.

The mage was well aware of his counterpart’s feelings towards him not using magic. Seonghwa always dodged the subject, found other ways to help, teased him until he was mad about the teasing and had forgotten all about the magic. Until the conversation arose again. There was nothing to say Hongjoong hadn’t been talking about his magic to him earlier, calling him useless before he walked off. He could have been. Seonghwa would have never known.

He thought back to Giverny Town and Space Park. He thought back to their night getting drunk off of wine and waking up hungover next to one another. He thought about how when they had been ‘killed’ by Minho, just ejected from the game really, that Hongjoong had run over to him when he arrived back in Space Park. That he would have embraced him, clung onto him, just as the kids were doing.

The look they had shared _terrified_ Seonghwa.

Because it was forcing him to realize that he had grown fond of Hongjoong. In ways unbearably different from Jongho and Yeosang. He felt like he was their mother—he tended to them even more than he had tended to Heeyoung, who he had _created himself_. Hongjoong had wormed his way past Seonghwa’s hard exterior and it made him _dangerous_.

Who was to say they were ever going to get out of wherever they were, though? The journey was still going. The journey would continue if it took damn well _centuries_ because the kids entered a few _seconds_ behind them. Hongjoong would die away from his prince and his best friend, and Seonghwa would die a liar and a coward away from everything he had known. Just like he wanted.

No one could be let in. Not even Hongjoong. He could be friendly, tease, just like he did with Yeosang and Jongho. But to be anything more would go against everything Seonghwa had built for himself over the centuries he had been alive. He couldn’t let one man, one very infuriating man, break down those walls.

Seonghwa had strayed a little further behind, letting Hongjoong lead, when suddenly from the trees came an arrow—one that would have pierced Seonghwa had he not heard it whistling in the air and jumped back.

Hongjoong heard the arrow pierce the ground and whipped his head around, both of their eyes staring into the rustling trees. Seonghwa crouched himself, ready to bolt in whatever direction he needed to, as Hongjoong’s hand slowly reached for the sword on his side.

_“Come out! I swear I’ll fucking end you if you try that shit one more time! I’m not in the mood_!” While Seonghwa didn’t understand, he knew Hongjoong was mad.

_“You’ll—what dialect are you speaking?!”_

Suddenly, a soldier, a soldier dressed far different than anyone they had seen in Hwandon, jumped from the trees and landed before them. He was young, Seonghwa could tell that much, holding a bow in his hand and arrows in a quiver on his back. Hongjoong looked surprised.

_“You can understand me?”_ Hongjoong pointed his sword at the stranger, who actually nodded his head. They sounded similar, but did they speak the same language? Seonghwa’s eyes flickered back and forth between them, his stance slowly relaxing.

_“Barely. Your dialect isn’t one I know. I don’t know of any neighboring villages with that dialect.”_ Suddenly, the boy’s hand gripped tighter on his bow. _“Did Hyunseok send you here to spy on us? Who are you?”_

_“First: I can barely understand you too. But, seriously, if we were spies, you think we’d be walking around in the open? We’re trying to figure out where the hell we are right now. Hwandon, I guess, but where is the question.”_ Hongjoong twirled his sword’s handle in his hand, so Seonghwa felt it was safe enough to relax where he was.

The boy didn’t really move, but his eyes glanced towards where Seonghwa was standing. _“The edges of Hyungsik’s camp. Not something you can just ‘stumble on’ actually. We’re in the middle of a war. Don’t you know that?”_

Hyungsik. The name sent fear down Seonghwa’s spine.

The boy must have noticed, because suddenly all of his attention was on Seonghwa. _“I saw him flinch. Tell me who you are,_ now.”

Seonghwa’s eyes turned to Hongjoong, who had picked up his feet and walked over to stand in front of Hongjoong, arm out to protect him. Hongjoong didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to do anything like that. He knew Hongjoong was still mad at him, yet he still chose to protect him?

_“You said you were in the middle of a war, right? How about you take us to your general and let me talk to him? I’m sure if we were traitors, he’d see it right away. Otherwise, maybe we can be of some help to one another.”_ Hongjoong spoke low, a sturdy voice Seonghwa remembered from the first time they met. A voice filled with anger and bitterness.

The boy glared at the two of them, saying nothing, but nodded his head as he turned on his heels and led them deeper into the trees surrounding the area. Seonghwa had no idea what was happening, had no choice but to follow Hongjoong who hadn’t spared him a look, but knew nothing good was going to happen.

\---

They had arrived at a camp. A war camp.

Seonghwa kept his head eye and his emotions away from his eyes and body, keeping himself as steady as stone as he walked through the soldiers behind the other two, until they reached a large tent. Even in the sunset, it was lit up brightly by lanterns that surrounded it. It was red, large, and… at the center of it all. It was the general’s tent, no doubt.

_“Hyungsik is inside. I’ll let him know what’s going on.”_ The boy turned and walked into the tent, and upon hearing Hyungsik’s name, Seonghwa found himself frozen again. He’d figured out the moment they stepped onto the grounds of the camp what had happened.

The portal had sent them back in time. They landed close to the mountains because they were close to Hyungsik’s camp. When they were in present day Hwandon, Seonghwa had heard people discussing a ‘war’ that had happened, about the two fighting sides—he had no idea how far in the past they were or _why_ they were here, but there was no way in hell he was going to get near Hyungsik. Any Hyungsik. And he sure as hell wasn’t letting Hongjoong near him.

The boy that had led them to the camp came back out and motioned for them, and when Hongjoong stepped forward, Seonghwa’s hand shot out instinctively to keep him back. He removed his hand the second he realized what he had done, but Hongjoong turned to stare at him anyways.

“You can’t—if he shares a soul with the man I know, you can’t get near him. He’ll hurt you, he’ll kill you!” Seonghwa tried to plead with his eyes, tried to beg Hongjoong to just listen and try to understand. “I’m not going in there, Hongjoong. I can’t be near him again. **You don’t understand what he’s done to me**.”

_“I don’t know why you keep trying to talk to me. I also don’t know why you’re acting like a freak. Of course, you choose the one damn time we can’t talk to suddenly become a chatterbox with me.”_

When Hongjoong reached out to grab ahold of him, presumably to pull him into the tent, Seonghwa yanked himself back and shook his head. He tried not to focus on the pain in his chest when Hongjoong rolled his eyes and dismissed him.

_“Fine. I’ll go alone.”_

And Hongjoong… left him. Left him standing there in the camp alone. The boy was standing outside the tent, his sharp eyes examining Seonghwa up and down. It made him uncomfortable. He turned his head and averted his eyes, but the boy walked up anyways.

_“Changkyun.”_ He pointed to himself as Seonghwa barely turned his head. Then he pointed at Seonghwa’s chest. Ah. Changkyun. A name—he was introducing himself. _“You don’t speak this language, how the hell did you two end up together?”_

“… Seonghwa.” He spoke low, careful, and pointed to his own chest. But did nothing more. Changkyun raised an eyebrow, and only stepped back to look him up and down.

_“You could fight. Doubt he’d be placing you on the frontlines, but you’ll do. Well, anyways. I’m going to see what they’re doing.”_ With that, Changkyun left and disappeared back inside the tent. Once more, Seonghwa was alone.

Maybe Hongjoong would figure out what was going on and they could leave, go to the town, see if someone could get ahold of Wooyoung—he had been working for centuries, he was out there, at his shop. Seonghwa knew it. But so close to Hyungsik’s soul, even if he really wanted to use his magic, he _couldn’t_. If the other one woke up, it would be the end. Of everything.

Seonghwa stood as the sun disappeared, stood as the wind began to blow, never once sitting—he was afraid to, for whatever reason. Afraid to show weakness anywhere near Hyungsik.

Eventually, Hongjoong and Changkyun exited together, discussing something amongst themselves. Seonghwa stood, waiting, expecting to leave, when he exited the tent.

Hyungsik.

The same long, black hair. The same beard. Even the lines around his eyes were the exact ones the king of Hiemis had. He stood just as tall, just as menacing, just as _power hungry_ as Seonghwa remembered. It felt as though ice-cold water was being poured into his veins, freezing him, draining him of all energy, prohibiting his body from moving. Seonghwa had only felt fear as intense as he was then once. The day of their journey’s beginning. The day that he tried to stop King Hyungsik.

Seonghwa barely felt his legs begin to give out as he stumbled back, and the last thing he remembered before the fear overtook him was Hongjoong’s worried look before he collapsed.

In dreams, one could never forget.

\---

_Seonghwa was returning was one of the many errands King Hyungsik sent him on these days. Hiemis was becoming dangerous and it was heartbreaking to watch the once vibrant people of the country feeling unsafe in their own homes._

_The murders had come so suddenly, so quickly, and no one could find out who was responsible. It was as though even if everyone stayed home, they would happen. No one would hear or see anything, but in the morning, there would be a new body in the street, or days later the smell of rotting flesh would give way to them finding bodies dead in their homes, alone. No one was safe. The rich, poor, anyone in-between. Gone._

_Seonghwa had been sent to another world to retrieve a simple book for Hyungsik that he claimed to need for the murders. It was something on absorption magic, but Seonghwa didn’t question the king. He never did. He was quiet, obedient, and did as he was told. When asked to use his magic, he never questioned why, only bowed and obeyed. Hyungsik had made sure, with the seal, he’d never hurt anyone with his magic ever again._

_As he neared the outer edges of the town, he noticed how eerily… quiet it was. Hiemis’ usual cold winds whistled between buildings, but that was all. No sounds of talking, laughter… anything. It wasn’t even close to evening, what was happening? All he could hear were his own footsteps in the snow, his staff’s jewels jingling as he walked. Nothing else._

_With unknown dread filling Seonghwa’s mind and spirit, he made it through the alleyways between some of the shops and to… the main road._

_Oh, oh, no. **No**._

_The street was red. The cobblestone streets were filled with **blood**. Seonghwa dropped the bag in his hand containing Hyungsik’s book and some other items without care, his newly freed hand coming up to cover his mouth. He held his staff tighter, closer to him, as if it itself would protect him._

_It wasn’t just that the street had been filled with the deep crimson color, it was that there were bodies haphazardly thrown against buildings, laying lifeless on the street, all torn to shreds with chunks of their flesh and muscle mingled in the blood that was soaking through every surface it could. This wasn’t a murder—this was a **massacre**. Never had Seonghwa seen such a sight before. Mattings of hair and clothing on the bodies, places where people had been torn in half, their organs left to rot in the sun—no, no, he couldn’t look. He couldn’t continue staring at the massacre. He had to find the king._

_Seonghwa kept his head high as he charged through the street, trying his best not to trip on any bodies or slip on the blood he could hear squelching under his boots. The ends of his cloak were soaked through with blood as he finally reached the stairs of the palace. He saw no blood on the stairs, and for a moment he was relieved. He threw down the mess of a cloak he had worn and charged inside, praying that he would find the king._

_The foyer with the beautiful fountain was fine, normal, but there was still that eerie silence that filled the air. He had yet to see Heeyoung anywhere, and the dread that filled him was immeasurable. Had something terrible happened to her and Hyungsik?_

_“Hello? Anyone? Is anyone there?” Seonghwa moved with ease through the empty palace, his staff heavy in his hand. His boots clacked still against the tile, blood covered footprints following behind him. Was he—no, he couldn’t be the only person left. Hyungsik was the most powerful wizard in Hiemis, how could he not have stopped this?_

_Seonghwa heard the creaking of a door as he walked through the palace and whipped his head around to see the door to the throne room slowly, slowly creaking open. Seonghwa swallowed hard and gripped the staff tighter in his hand, prepared to absolutely fight whoever was in there. Especially if something had happened to the only people that he held close to him._

_He approached the door slowly, remaining light on his feet as he entered. But nothing, nothing could have prepared him for what he found._

_Hyungsik was more than alive._

_On the floor, piled as high as the throne itself, were bodies. Bodies of everyone who had worked in Hyungsik’s palace. It was then, with the door open, that the blood began to slowly pour out of the room and into the hallway. These were people that Seonghwa had known for centuries, people he worked beside—people he thought… Hyungsik cared about. No, there was no way Hyungsik was the one responsible for everything._

_But there the king was, standing atop his throne, **soaked** in blood. His hands, his robes, there was blood smeared over his lips and cheeks—he was frenzied, madness swimming in his eyes, and with every passing second Seonghwa felt it harder and harder to breath._

_His lips trembled, as if trying to say something, but the fear filling his veins made his body feel as though it was made of stone. Hyungsik had killed everyone in Hiemis. He’d been the murderer all along. Seonghwa had felt a level of fear for Hyungsik his entire life, but it had been something he assumed was the level of fear everyone felt for a powerful king. Had his magic, his very soul, been trying to warn him?_

_“Why?” Was the breathy, airy word that finally left in a whisper from Seonghwa’s lips. He had been so prepared to fight whoever was in there, the adrenaline making his fingers tremble and his legs shake. It was his fault, wasn’t it? Seonghwa was aware of the curse on him, something that—something that he would have to wear forever, but had such a curse affected Hyungsik? Had the seal not worked?_

_“It is my magic, Seonghwa.” The king’s voice was deeper, almost sticky, like something was stuck in his throat. “My power grows with every person I kill. The more powerful the person, the more powerful I become. I thought I was finished killing after the war centuries and centuries ago. I became the strongest wizard around, Seonghwa. I ruled this kingdom for centuries before you showed up.”_

_The king’s smile was as mad as his eyes were. He didn’t move an inch, but his smile began to curl unnaturally at the corners. “I should have known I would become a murderer. **He** told me about you, **he** told me to come find you, Seonghwa. Your magic was already becoming more powerful than mine and you were only a child! If I trained you correctly, capped your magic off at a level that could not surpass my own, I could raise you and take it for myself and you wouldn’t be able to stop me! I could become the most powerful wizard in the universe! Because you, Seonghwa, you surpassed every wizard in the universe decades ago! It was only a matter of time before I began killing again!”_

_Seonghwa… Seonghwa had been aware of the title given to him. Seonghwa D. Hiemis, the highest level of wizard known. But there were others like him with that title. Yes, he was at the top, but that was because he had worked hard to control his magic and use it for something good despite the curse on it. Hyungsik had sealed his magic to a certain level because he was dangerous, there—there was no way it was because he hadn’t wanted him to grow stronger. There was no way the man who took him in as a child would make sure he was weak enough to kill him and take his magic._

_Seonghwa’s blue eyes, the magic filled eyes he’d had since he was a child, widened in a newfound fear he’d never felt before. For the first time in his life, he felt like his life was truly in danger. But his mind was begging his heart to make the feeling go away._

_“You… you wouldn’t. You wouldn’t kill all of these people, Hyungsik. That’s not who you are. You wouldn’t be threatening to kill me, you can’t be him—”_

**_“But I am!”_ ** _The voice roared through the room, ripping through the silence, and Seonghwa was almost certain the windows would shatter. The evil grin was gone, leaving the man with a maddening scowl instead. “I took you in to fulfill my wish, to become more powerful than anyone else! You were a fool, child, to believe anyone would care for you! A curse on this world, only good for his magic! Once I’m rid of you, nothing will stand in my way!”_

_The pain of hearing such words coming from the man he trusted was enough to render anyone useless. To say he was no good—Seonghwa knew that. He had felt his entire life that he should have already been dead, should have acknowledged he was a curse and cleansed the world of his magic. But Hyungsik had been the one person he thought cared for him despite everything. It had all been a lie. He was a pawn for Hyungsik’s sick fantasies._

_Despite the raging fear, Seonghwa knew he was going to fight. There was no way that he would let Hyungsik have his way, not after he killed so many innocent people just because he was power hungry. Seonghwa was strong, even with the seal on his back. Maybe Hyungsik really had stopped his magic from growing. Maybe he was no match for the man. But he wasn’t going to flee without trying to stop him._

_The witch had contacted him in a dream days before about the journey he knew from childhood he would be going on. He knew where he needed to run to get away from all of this. And he would, once Hyungsik had been subdued._

_There was still fear in Seonghwa’s body as he tapped his staff against the ground, a strange symbol beginning to form around him, his magic glowing all around him. In that moment, Seonghwa changed._

_He knew he could no longer let people close if he made it out. Seonghwa knew that his curse would only ruin those around him. He would run from this place for the rest of his life. He could hide his emotions from others, keep them from getting close, keep them from prying into the pain scarring his heart. He had been too careless letting Hyungsik in when he found him. He had been a child, one that didn’t know any better. Seonghwa would not make that mistake twice. He would live alone, and that was that._

_Seonghwa raised his staff to the sounds of Hyungsik’s maniacal laughter echoing against the walls of the throne room, ready for whatever the fight would bring._

\---

In the weeks Hongjoong had known Seonghwa, he had never seen the man talk so much—he’d never seen him so strangely _emotional_ either. Yes, he was mad because he still wouldn’t use magic, especially when they were in such a situation where they couldn’t understand one another.

Hongjoong had briefly spoken to Hyungsik of their situation and told him they would train in the camp and help him so in time they could find their friends. He had told the general about how he had once been a palace guard from another world, even demonstrated his sword skills, to which the man seemed pleased to accept them into the camp as soldiers. Hongjoong told him he’d only seen Seonghwa fight once, that he mostly used his hands, but could help train him with a bow.

They were stuck in the past, before the great war between the two generals that sparked the festival they had been attending. Hongjoong had no idea where the kids were, nor why they had been forced back in time, but he’d figure it out. At least Hyungsik had been able to help explain the situation to him. Made the present-day festival make a lot more sense. He wondered, though, if it had really been Hyungsik’s men who were exiled. If he stuck around, maybe he’d find out the truth.

They had exited alongside Changkyun, a higher-ranking man in the army that said he would oversee their training. The mood was light, serious, but promising. It would be good for them to get a little more training under their belt. Hongjoong was ready to head to the tent given to them at the edge of the camp alongside Changkyun when—Seonghwa looked terrified.

Seonghwa’s blue eyes were terrified to their core, shooting Hongjoong just one look before he stumbled backwards. Hongjoong reached out and barely made it over to Seonghwa to catch him. He was entirely limp in Hongjoong’s hold; eyebrows still furrowed. What the hell just happened? Hongjoong had been so focused on watching Seonghwa’s limp body that he hadn’t noticed the other two walk up to him.

“Maybe we should get him to bed. Sounds like you guys have had a rough time.” Hongjoong lifted Seonghwa up into his arms with a nod and followed the older man to their tent.

It was fine. Small, but fine. There was a mat on both sides that had a small futon on them, and there was a small space between the beds that was just dirt. It was on the edge closest to the mountains, so there wasn’t as much grass. Hongjoong didn’t mind. He laid Seonghwa down on the futon and covered him up, watching him for just a second before going over to his own futon. Eventually, he left to get them food. Seonghwa wasn’t awake when he got back. He ate his own, left Seonghwa his bowl, and retired for the night.

The coming weeks, nothing got better.

Seonghwa had yet to join him outside of the tent. He would stay in the bed, ignoring everything Hongjoong did. He picked at his food and had slowly stopped talking, even to himself. Hongjoong had been angry at first, but it was slowly dissipating the weaker and weaker Seonghwa became. Hongjoong had heard in the middle of the night sometimes that Seonghwa would go out to the nearby pond and bathe himself before coming back and laying back down. Hongjoong knew he was getting thinner and thinner, and he was beginning to feel entirely helpess.

One day, about two months into their stay, Hongjoong was coming back from training with Changkyun and his friends late in the evening to—crying. He heard the sounds of muffled crying coming from the tent. He hurried inside only to find Seonghwa curled up on himself, facing the wall of the tent, with his head buried into the small pillow they were given. Hongjoong had never, ever seen Seonghwa cry. He’d never really seen him act in such a negative way… ever. He hid everything behind a smile.

He dropped his sword and his armor from training onto the ground, and immediately went to sit next to Seonghwa on the futon. Even when his hand moved to rest on Seonghwa’s shoulder, the man didn’t move. He’d heard Hongjoong come in, and he wasn’t hiding this side of himself any longer.

“I don’t know what to do for you, hyung.” Hongjoong was unsure if the intimate word would reach Seonghwa, but he spoke his feelings regardless. “I got mad, I yelled, I’ve tried dragging you outside… nothing is working. You have no idea how hard it is for me to watch you do this to yourself. You have no idea how much you mean to me. I don’t even know _why_ you’re acting like this. Who has hurt you so much that you’ve turned in on yourself?”

Seonghwa said nothing, still, but Hongjoong watched as a tear-wet hand moved to rest atop of the one on his shoulder. It was the most interaction they’d had in two months. Maybe Hongjoong didn’t want to know what dark thoughts were swimming around in Seonghwa’s head. Maybe they would make Hongjoong feel worse. But more than anything, he wanted to help the man that he admired so much.

“You used to make me so angry, hyung. You still do. I used to think you were the most selfish man in the world, keeping your magic back when you could have been helping us. In every world, though, I started noticing what you were really doing. You always kept your eye on Jongho and Yeosang, even when you thought I wasn’t watching. When we were running out of food in the fog world, you always snuck and gave more to all of us. You’ve barely ate anything all this time, just to make sure we were alright.”

Seonghwa’s hand gripped his just a little tighter at the sound of the other’s names. No words were spoken, but Hongjoong felt as though him merely speaking his mind and getting closer again was helping. The cries were much quieter now. So Hongjoong continued.

“That night in Giverny Town was the most open you’ve ever been. The closest we’d ever gotten, and you were only like that after an entire bottle of wine. You harbor all of your feelings to yourself, all your concerns and dreams, and just try to show everyone a good face. You made sure after Yeosang woke up to be his comfort until he got closer to Jongho. And I know you fought Minho to keep you both in the game, protected him with your life. You’re a good person, Seonghwa. I don’t know how to help you, but I wish I could make it go away.” Hongjoong, bravely, let his thumb stroke over Seonghwa’s shoulder. “I wish I knew why you were like this.”

Finally, Seonghwa turned onto his back to look up at Hongjoong. There was no recognition in his eyes that said he knew what Hongjoong was saying, but given the fact that he was talking without anger or malice in his voice, that his voice had been soft as he said all of that, perhaps he felt… safe enough to face Hongjoong.

Now, they had their differences, but Hongjoong wasn’t blind. Seonghwa was, in fact, one of the most ethereally beautiful people he’d ever seen. Even after crying so much, the way the red around his eyes, splotched against his cheeks, even the red from where he had bitten his lip, all of that against his blue eyes and his dark hair was… beautiful, leaving Hongjoong without words for it. He had little time to focus on the heartbreaking beauty, because the look in Seonghwa’s eyes hurt him.

It wasn’t a typical sadness. Not the sadness one would find in the eyes of a child who broke a toy, or even something as deep as someone losing a loved one. The pain and sadness in Seonghwa’s eyes spoke of centuries of pain. Of something hiding deep, locked up in his soul, something that no one but him knew of. The reason for the fake smiles and lofty attitude towards everything. Hongjoong knew better. He knew from the little parts of the real Seonghwa he had seen that underneath the pain was a genuine, wonderful person. He just had to pull him out.

_“I don’t want to live like this. I can’t live near him. I can’t carry the pain of knowing he’s around me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I can’t let him do it again.”_ Seonghwa’s voice was raspy from not just the crying, but the extreme lack of use the past two months. It broke Hongjoong’s heart to hear how quiet and wavering that once happy voice was.

“I wish I could understand. I wish I could help.” Anything that would make him understand, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

Seonghwa’s gaze fell from him, to the side for a moment before he moved closer to the tent’s wall and patted the spot next to him. Surprised, Hongjoong pointed a finger at himself, and then to the empty space. Seonghwa only nodded. Well, alright. He could keep him company for a little bit. Hongjoong nodded back and slipped his boots off before laying himself down next to the elder. In response, Seonghwa turned with his back facing Hongjoong, and laid in silence.

Hongjoong was unsure what it was that Seonghwa needed. Should he stay? Go once Seonghwa was asleep? Was he supposed to keep talking? Hongjoong laid right on his back, his hands folded on his chest, but his head was turned towards Seonghwa. All he could see in the dimly lit tent, their lantern glowing soft in the corner, was the back of Seonghwa’s head. But he could hear his breathing evening out.

He remembered once that he had asked Yunho why he fell asleep so easily when he and Mingi would sometimes hang out before Yunho went to bed in the garden outside the palace, to which his prince had responded that it was easy to fall asleep next to them because he trusted them so much. Maybe Seonghwa felt the same trust for him that Yunho felt for him. Maybe more, maybe less.

Eventually, sleep claimed Hongjoong as well, and that night he dreamt of a snowstorm and of Seonghwa’s cries.

\---

He was warm.

Like, Hongjoong was _really_ warm.

The man groaned and slowly opened his eyes to see the light filtering through the thin tent, but not just that—it was Seonghwa making him so warm. At some point in the night, Seonghwa had turned over, and now had his head resting on Hongjoong’s chest. Oh, and how peaceful Seonghwa looked when he was resting. He was glad Seonghwa hadn’t woken up yet, else he would have seen the red in Hongjoong’s cheeks.

The younger of the two allowed himself a few more moments of bliss before slowly untangling himself so he could go get them breakfast. He knew neither of them ate dinner, and Seonghwa barely touched his food even when he did eat.

He wasn’t gone too long, just stood with everyone else and waited to get two bowls of rice and eggs for them, even managing to snag a bag that had some cooked meat from Changkyun when he saw him. Perks of having an officer being your friend.

When Hongjoong returned, he was surprised not only to see that Seonghwa was awake, but that he was also sitting up. He had changed his clothes into the training uniform that they had been given months before, presumably so his own clothes could be washed again. Hongjoong smiled small as he walked in, boldly sitting down with Seonghwa on his futon.

He handed over the bowl to Seonghwa, chopsticks and all, and poured some of the beef strips from the bag into Seonghwa’s bowl, and then his own. He watched as Seonghwa slowly mixed everything up, then… he actually started eating. When Seonghwa had eaten before, it was in secret, when Hongjoong was out or asleep. Had he seriously done something last night that made Seonghwa somehow feel better?

Hongjoong himself ate in silence, eyes looking down at the dirt floor and the footprints his boots had made. It… it gave him an idea. Hongjoong placed his bowl down, mouth full of food, and began drawing something in the dirt. Maybe language and body language weren’t helping them any but drawing and slowly figuring things out that way might be nice. He took a break just to finish his bowl of rice quickly, then back to the drawing. Seonghwa just ate slowly and watched Hongjoong work.

The drawing wasn’t great, but it was done. Hongjoong pointed to a crying face he had drawn, then to Seonghwa. Then to a concerned looking face and pointed to himself. He gave a little shrug as if to say he didn’t know what to do, and then also pointed at the sad face before pointing at himself. Maybe that would force Seonghwa to understand that he was concerned, not mad.

Seonghwa examined the drawing for a minute, cradling the bowl in his hands. _“… I’m upsetting you. I don’t mean to. I can’t… talk to you to make you understand. You don’t know the horrors I saw Hyungsik commit. You weren’t there to hear what he said to me, see what he did to those bodies. I had to fight him in the blood of the people I grew up with, Hongjoong.”_

Hongjoong recognized his own name, of course, but Hyungsik’s as well. He wiped at the drawing in the dirt and instead drew a picture of a man with long hair and a beard. Hyungsik. Seonghwa seemed to be getting what he was asking, and he reached forward to draw his own man, identical to Hongjoong’s, but this one held a staff in his hand like Seonghwa had when they met.

_“Seonghwa’s Hyungsik.”_ Seonghwa pointed to the drawing, then drew a sad boy next to it. One that was crying, holding… maybe a staff in his hand? _“Seonghwa.”_

Hongjoong didn’t look up at first. He was trying his best to completely understand what was happening. Because, no, they weren’t the same man. But Wooyoung had explained to them after Tokyo that they would meet the same people in other worlds. That everyone existed in every timeline, every world, sharing the same soul but completely unaware of the other versions of themselves. Seonghwa knew this. He knew this Hyungsik was not his Hyungsik, but was the idea that they shared a soul what terrified him?

Was this the man Seonghwa was fleeing from? The one that made him wish to never return home? Seonghwa was crying in front of Hyungsik in the drawing, but he didn’t elaborate on what happened. Wasn’t even talking.

Hongjoong leaned in and drew a little picture of himself in the drawing, holding his sword, and pointing it towards the drawing of Seonghwa’s Hyungsik. Seonghwa gave a little laugh and looked up at Hongjoong, who sat up straighter and flexed his muscles. “I’ll protect you from him. Any version of him, I promise. And I’ll help you get to a point where you feel like you can work past whatever happened. I’ll be here for you.”

_“You’re a very admirable person, Hongjoong.”_ Seonghwa was smiling for the first time in months and Hongjoong had never felt so… proud of himself. He actually made Seonghwa feel better instead of making him feel worse, which he not so proudly did… often. Being with Seonghwa had really made him realize that, though. And for that he was grateful.

Next, Hongjoong quickly erased all of the drawings, and drew a picture of himself and his sword, and Seonghwa with a bow. The eldest tilted his head at the drawing, probably because it was a shitty drawing and hard to see, so Hongjoong decided to act it out.

“You. Seonghwa.” He pretended to shoot an arrow with an imaginary bow in his hand. “Bow. Hongjoong… show you? Bow? Fuck, okay, can I teach you how to use a bow? Get you out of the tent for a bit? We’re soldiers, technically, I signed us up for that. Until we can find the kids and get out of here. Just to give us access to what’s going on and somewhere to eat and sleep.”

Seonghwa blinked at him, pointed to Hongjoong, himself, and then made the same motion of a bow as Hongjoong had. “ _You want to teach me… archery? I know a little but… sure. If it makes you happy, alright.”_ He gave a little nod, and that was all the confirmation Hongjoong needed before he grinned.

He gathered the bowls quickly, set them outside, and came back in so he could grab his sword and hand Seonghwa his boots. He was excited. Seonghwa was beginning to trust him, and he was going to make sure he did whatever he could to make Seonghwa happy.

“Let’s go. I’ve got a lot to teach you.”

\---

Seonghwa, in his four months at the camp, was beginning to feel alright again.

Hongjoong understood he wanted nothing to do with Hyungsik. His heart was trying to make him realize that the man wasn’t the same one he knew, but it was hard. Incredibly so. Hongjoong made sure that when they trained, they were away from the general, made sure that Seonghwa was in the tent when he retrieved their food. It wasn’t a great situation, but it was better than before.

Seonghwa had expected he would have PTSD episodes of what happened. But he had figured he would be able to keep them at bay, just like he did with the nightmares he had every night of Hiemis that day. Seeing Hyungsik, knowing the man was at any corner, able to come into the tent and kill him at any second, that anxiety kept him up at night. No one ever came, Hongjoong was there for him as well, and gradually over time he was working through it. Through all of the fear that incapacitated him for so long.

He was slowly learning the language as well. Nouns and adjectives were easy, grammar was hard. But now he could better understand Hongjoong and what he and the others were saying. That inclusion, the comradery of the other soldiers around them, that aided Seonghwa’s recovery greatly. No one pushed him. Changkyun was even someone who was quietly watching over him, seemed very intuitive when it came to… the problems of Seonghwa’s heart. He was growing on him.

When he was younger, Seonghwa had been trained lightly with archery and swordfighting. But he had relied on his staff and his magic mostly, but now he had no choice but to fall back on the basics he had been taught. Hongjoong, a former palace guard, was very adept at teaching it to him. He was patient, shockingly, and dare Seonghwa say gentle. He was firm in the teaching but forgiving when Seonghwa made a mistake. Dare he also say they made quite a good duo.

He was getting good, maybe even better than some of the other archers in the camp. He had somewhat understood Hongjoong telling him they were going to be given higher positions but hadn’t seen it come to fruition for a while. One day, after a meeting with Hyungsik, Hongjoong came back with different uniforms for them. From what he gathered; they were to work together. He figured it was mostly Hongjoong being promoted. Changkyun had probably vouched for Seonghwa just because Hongjoong wouldn’t leave him. There was something equally sad and endearing about such a thought.

Seonghwa was also aware that there had been a number of battles. He was aware because he was always left behind, Hongjoong telling him to stay in the camp, and a while later he would return, battered and bruised. Seonghwa wanted to help. More than anything. But he figured it was best that… one of them stay alive for the kids, should something happen. And Hongjoong was their leader. Seonghwa just quietly helped bandage his wounds and listened as Hongjoong spoke of what happened. Eventually, he picked up more and more on words. One day he would ask Hongjoong the real reason he was left behind.

Days after the last small battle, Seonghwa was with Hongjoong as they oversaw a group training in archery in one of the nearby fields. It was fine. Seonghwa gave tips as best he could, demonstrated what Hongjoong had taught him, and everyone was listening. Well. Most everyone was listening. There was one soldier who kept brushing him off, though Seonghwa was just trying to help.

_“Fucking—shut up!”_ Seonghwa was taken aback when the soldier yelled at him, shocked because all he had done was spoken to him about his aim and tried to show him a better technique. Hongjoong’s head whipped around and he came rushing over, immediately placing himself between Seonghwa and the other guy. Seonghwa tried calming Hongjoong down because he was fine, he didn’t feel unsafe, sad, mad—he was just concerned. But Hongjoong didn’t move.

_“You wanna say that again? Who the hell are you to curse at your officer?”_ Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at the man, Seonghwa took a step back next to Changkun who had rushed to join them.

_“ **My** officer? That fucking wimp stayed in his tent for two months before showing his face, now you want to try and tell me that he’s **over** me? I don’t care who the fuck he is, I’m not going to listen to him!”_

Seonghwa caught enough to know he didn’t like him, which no words were needed to figure that much out. Seonghwa stood a little taller as the angry soldier’s gaze flickered between him and Hongjoong. With every passing second, Seonghwa could see the anger building, rising, ready to burst from the man’s face.

Hongjoong, though shorter than the man, stepped right up in his face, but didn’t make a move to touch him. He was trying to antagonize him, make the man act on his own. And it was working. _“Say some more shit about him. I fucking **dare** you.”_

Finally, the man exploded. He pushed at Hongjoong’s chest, forcing him backwards, and the punches that ensued were a blur. The soldiers were hollering and screaming, reveling in the sight of one of them fighting an officer, but Seonghwa and Changkyun both rushed to the men beating the shit out of each other on the ground to break them apart. Changkyun got the soldier, and Seonghwa got Hongjoong.

Seonghwa was unsure of most of what Changkyun was yelling at the soldier as he and a few others hauled him off to what he could only assume was going to be Hyungsik’s tent, while he aided Hongjoong back to their tent to cool off. Of course, the entire way back Hongjoong was cursing the guy out. Seonghwa had learned all of the curses in the camp far more quickly than anything else.

Hongjoong situated himself on Seonghwa’s futon, a motion he did countless times when returning from battle, and Seonghwa returned from fetching some fresh water so he could tend to the cuts on Hongjoong’s skin. Sadly, bandages were something their tent had quite a bit of now.

“You shouldn’t have fought him, Hongjoong. And I know you’re going to say you didn’t throw the first punch. No, but you didn’t have to antagonize him.” Seonghwa sighed as he sat himself down, dampening a cloth in the water before going to dab at one of the scrapes on Hongjoong’s neck. How Hongjoong had been punched there and not gotten the wind knocked out of him was beyond him. “I would have been fine. I _am_ fine.”

Hongjoong scoffed and averted his gaze. _“You only speak your language when you’re mad. I wasn’t about to let some high and mighty asshole talk bad about you just because you’ve got more skill than he’ll ever have.”_

Seonghwa fully rolled his eyes at that. A few words he didn’t catch, but that was fine. The sentiment was there in Hongjoong’s mumbled words. “I would have been fine. _Again, I’m fine, Hongjoong.”_

He moved the cloth up to the cut on Hongjoong’s cheek, the man only wincing a little at the cold water. He checked Hongjoong out to see if he had any other cuts, but all he could see were the beginnings of bruises blossoming on his skin. It was ridiculous. There had only been a few moments of fighting, but they _both_ had gone hard at it. Seonghwa let the cloth fall in the bowl as he reached for a small bowl of medicinal ointment, something that would make sure the cuts didn’t scar.

“Hold still. It stings.” He scooped a small bit of the ointment on his finger and, as gently as he could, patted it over the spot on Hongjoong’s neck. To which the younger jumped and groaned at, even trying to turn his head away from him like a child. Seonghwa just huffed. “Don’t move, Hongjoong.”

_“It fucking hurts.”_

That he understood fully. “I told you it would. It always does.” With the ointment on, Seonghwa quickly bandaged the cut up, though it probably didn’t need it, he just wanted to make sure Hongjoong was taken care of. “ _Why did you do it_? Why would you put yourself in danger, Hongjoong?”

Hongjoong winced once more when Seonghwa applied the ointment to his cheek, but he still didn’t make a move to look at Seonghwa again. _“Because he was shit talking you.”_

“ _Plenty of soldiers don’t care for me._ I don’t care. A lot of them hate me. They don’t care for either of us because we’re foreigners, but you don’t bat an eyelash when they talk bad about you. _You’re only mad when it’s me_.”

The younger said nothing as Seonghwa leaned in and patched a bandage over his cheek. Not a single work. Sure, Seonghwa still spoke in his native tongue more often than not, but he made sure he said a few things Hongjoong could understand. With the bandages on and everything secure, Seonghwa set everything aside, but didn’t move from where he was sitting. Not when there was something tense in the air between them.

_“Look, Hongjoong. At me.”_ When the younger didn’t move, Seonghwa huffed again and tugged on the man’s sleeve. _“ **Hongjoong**.”_

_“What? What do you want me to say, Seonghwa? Yeah, I only get mad when it’s you. Because you don’t fight back for yourself. Because they say nasty shit all the time that you can’t understand, and they **know** you can’t understand. It’s cowardly and pisses me off. You just have to fucking take it and I’m **tired** of them pulling stuff like that. You’re an incredibly skilled fighter, you pick up on everything quickly because you’re fucking smart, and even when you can’t understand me or what’s going on you still make sure to take care of me. You’ve always been taking care of me and I didn’t even fucking notice. All I’ve done is make things worse for you. At least here I can make up for it.”_

That was… a lot. Hongjoong had looked at him for just a brief second before quickly turning his head to absently stare at his own futon across from where he was. Seonghwa did his best to understand, to try to understand what Hongjoong was so upset about. Why he cared so much about… protecting him and doing things like fighting soldiers for him. Because getting mad was one thing, but you didn’t act the way Hongjoong was if you were only angry.

Seonghwa reached his hand up to rest on Hongjoong’s shoulder, gently, until the man turned to look at him.

_“Why, Hongjoong?”_

Between them, no words were said again.

The flower that had sprung between them when reunited in Space Park, one that had only budded, had begun to bloom between them. Not fully—no, such things would take time. Time seemed to stand still between them as the first flower began to flourish, to bloom, to awaken what had been stirring in their minds for months now. What was bringing them together and helping them survive.

Looking into one another’s eyes, words that could not be said with their mouths could finally, finally be understood. To be vulnerable with one another, to beg with their eyes the feelings in their heart, the fear and the joy that came with them, Seonghwa began to understand what Hongjoong was feeling. Why he was acting so mad, why he was working so hard to make Seonghwa’s time easier. The feelings of something so much deeper than companionship emerging between them.

Seonghwa knew he shouldn’t feel these things. He had sworn to keep his emotions back, far away from anyone else’s grasp. That never again would he allow someone to hold such a vice on him, one that could be used to betray his trust, his mental wellbeing, and everything in between. But he had done nothing to keep himself back. He had been the one constantly teasing Hongjoong. He was the one who had moved closer in the middle of the night months before to rest his head on Hongjoong while they slept.

Maybe it wasn’t love. Maybe it was trust. A deep-rooted trust that allowed them to feel these things. That’s what Seonghwa would tell himself to keep himself from feeling guilty over falling for someone who would eventually leave him.

Everyone tended to leave him, it seemed.

Hongjoong was the one who made the first move. Hongjoong broke the spell between them as he raised his hand to Seonghwa’s cheek, the roughness from years of sword fighting evident against Seonghwa’s skin, and never before had the mage felt like he was on fire. Not like this. He watched as the younger’s eyes flickered down from his eyes to his lips, and Seonghwa found himself doing the same.

Like two magnets pulling one another in, they slowly leaned in, their lips finally meeting.

It felt like a thousand butterflies were fluttering in his ribs. In all of his decades, centuries of being alive, Seonghwa had not allowed himself the simplest pleasure of kissing in his life. He had been so scared to let people other than Hyungsik and Heeyoung close, kept even the palace workers he grew up with at a distance. Hongjoong had somehow wormed his way through those defenses without Seonghwa noticing. Not until he already felt the same.

Oh, but kissing Hongjoong was _wonderful_. His lips were ever so chapped from the wind outside and how much he licked over them, but they were warm, somehow soft at the same time, and though the kiss was chaste and slowly ended (still too soon for Seonghwa’s liking), it was… everything he could have imagined a kiss would be. Seonghwa leaned in to kiss him again but stopped when he felt Hongjoong move back.

_“Hyung, is this seriously okay? I don’t know if you feel like I’m pushing you or whatever—”_ Seonghwa held a hand up to silence the younger man before moving that hand to cradle the back of Hongjoong’s hair, fingers carding through the long locks.

_“Please stop talking.”_

Really, it had been that simple to get Hongjoong to shut up and kiss him again. This time, Seonghwa moved himself to sit in the younger’s lap, feeling something new and _happy_ bubble in his chest seeing Hongjoong smile up at him. He pushed any thoughts of love out of his mind for now. He could enjoy Hongjoong’s company and kissing him and it be fine, right? Perhaps that flower would never fully bloom.

Oh, but this kiss was even better than the last. This time, Hongjoong was much less chaste and gentle. With his hand returning to Seonghwa’s cheek, his free hand curled into the fabric of Seonghwa’s robes at his hip, Hongjoong tilted the elder’s head to deepen the kiss. The slide of Hongjoong’s tongue against his own, pulling him closer, making Seonghwa feel _dizzy_. How had he gone so long without this?

Seonghwa had moved his hands to either side of Hongjoong’s neck, letting himself revel in the feeling of warm skin under his fingers, being _intimate_ with someone for the first time. Someone who actually cared. Someone who was working to make his life better. Seonghwa whined into the man’s mouth, fingers curling into his palms against Hongjoong’s neck.

_“I’ve got you.”_ Were the words spoken against Seonghwa’s kiss-slick lips, Hongjoong moving his other hand up to hold the msn’s face now in both of his hands, thumbs stroking over his cheeks. _“I’ll always have you.”_

And for the moment, Seonghwa believed him.

\---

The sixth month of their stay in Hwandon had been Hongjoong’s favorite.

The night after the kissed he had been afraid that Seonghwa had done something he would regret. However, he couldn’t have been more wrong. He truly couldn’t have. They moved their futons together on Seonghwa’s side of the tent, got up together for meals, and though they never went further than kissing—the kissing happened often. Though it was unspoken between them that it was something for only them. Something that occurred in the tent away from prying eyes.

Hyungsik approached him one day to tell him they would be the ones to go with him to the mountain plateau so he could use the gem he had stolen while the final battle was to be fought. He had been waiting months for the opportunity, for the right full moon, and he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity just to be in the battle. He claimed it was a thank you to them for aiding his cause so much while they were waiting for their friends. They wouldn’t have to fight, so long as they stayed by his side.

Seonghwa had taken it well. He seemed like he was going to be fine with walking beside the man, the months giving him time to get over his fear of the Hyungsik in Hwandon. Hongjoong was proud of the progress he had made. In fact, he knew the kids would be proud of them as well.

Ah, Jongho and Yeosang… Hongjoong wondered how they were. If they were alright, if they had even made it to Hwandon. Seonghwa had mentioned once or twice he had never felt the butterfly’s magic in their time in Hwandon despite Hehetmon claiming there was a butterfly in the world through the portal. Hongjoong was beginning to wonder if the gem contained the butterfly itself.

He knew they were aiding the bad guy in this situation. Hongjoong considered them more spies than anything else. Using the resources to help themselves and give them the opportunity to find the kids. Through drawings earlier on, Seonghwa had explained the issue with time in the portal and why the kids might… not ever make it.

He knew they would. Jongho’s will was too strong for that.

The night of the battle came and, as Hyungsik told them, they walked with him past the battlefield and up to the plateau. They had changed back into their original clothes, Hongjoong’s all black outfit and cloak, and Seonghwa’s high color white shirt and black pants. The blue decorations around the collar and sleeves were always a reminder of the mage’s status. In Hwandon, Hongjoong had almost forgotten.

There wouldn’t be much more time before Hyunseok and his own bodyguards would show up. They stood side by side, quiet as the night, until the sound of hooves could be heard. Low and behold, standing alongside Hyunseok, were the kids.

“I knew it. I knew Jongho’s will would bring them sooner than later.” Hongjoong muttered under his breath, ignoring the way Seonghwa turned to look at him. Hehetmon. Their words could be understood completely again, no pieces here and there like before.

“They’re here! They’re ok!” Oh, it was good to hear Yeosang’s voice again. Both of them just smiled and waved their hands at the duo. They looked happy and healthy, which was all Hongjoong could ask for.

“Took you two long enough to get here!” Hongjoong called to them, sword resting on his shoulder.

“We’ve been here the entire night!” Oh, so they had only just arrived? Interesting. Seonghwa really had been right when he said it could have been anywhere between seconds and centuries that they would arrive.

“Ah, it’s good to understand again.” Seonghwa sighed, his one free hand rubbing at his neck. “I missed Hehetmon quite a lot.”

Yeosang looked at them rather confused at the statement. Poor kid, they were going to have a lot to catch up on. “Hyung, what are you talking about? What’s going on?”

Seonghwa smiled a little, a smile Hongjoong knew was relieved but sad, and glanced over at him before speaking. “We entered the portal first. Time doesn’t always work very linear when entering and exiting worlds, and I had assumed while traveling within the same world that everything would be fine.”

“We entered only a few seconds before you. But we’ve been here, alone, in Hyungsik’s camp, for six entire months. No Hehetmon for the language barrier either.”

Hongjoong scoffed a little. Mostly to himself.

“You’re lucky my language was close enough that I could understand them after a week.” He would have teased Seonghwa more, said more to the kids, but they were unfortunately interrupted. Hongjoong had almost forgotten what was going on.

“I believe the time has come, Hyunseok.” Hyungsik’s voice was as commanding as ever, though there was something almost… familiar about the tone he was using. “For us to finally end this.”

“You cannot fix what has occurred by breaking sacred rules, Hyungsik. Not for anyone. I cannot allow you to use that gem. You cannot fix what has happened to me.” Hyunseok wasn’t what Hongjoong had imagined he would be. He was thin, sickly, and his voice sounded so far away from his own body. But wait—what did he mean? Had they secretly been speaking this entire time?

“What the hell is going on here? What are you two talking about?” Had Hyungsik planned all of this? Snuck out of the camp to go and talk to Hyunseok without anyone knowing?

All eyes looked to Hyungsik, eyes narrowed, and jaw clenched, body moving to stand in the center of the plateau under the rising moon in front of Hyunseok.

“Hyunseok has been my lover since we were young.”

Every last one of them gasped. Without even thinking about it, Hongjoong whipped his head around to look at Seonghwa. Lovers. They had been lovers this entire time? When Hongjoong turned back around to look at the two in the center, they were still staring at one another, angry, but with familiarity in how they stood.

“Wait, you guys are—but why are you fighting? Lovers don’t _literally_ wage wars for one another.” Hongjoong noticed while Jongho spoke, Yeosang was holding onto the edge of his shirt. That was a new development. But maybe now wasn’t the time to notice his kids getting close again.

“We grew up side by side. Inseparable. Though our relationship began in our teens, we had to be very quiet and sneak around. It was fine for a while. A number of years ago, I contracted an illness that has never left me. It weakened my body and left me powerless. Hyungsik continuously tried to tell me to use the gem in the temple and its power. I refused. I still refuse to use such a thing. And I will not stop until I convince you to place it back where it belongs!”

“You’re a fool!” Hyungsik roared, voice echoing off the cliffs of the mountains. “Our clans were close, we’ve always been close, and as soon as this illness came it ruined everything! We are the heads of our clans, Hyunseok, the two most powerful in Hwandon! Can you not see if you are returned to your full health, with the power of them gem in us, we could rule all of this kingdom and beyond! We can be together, and no one say anything! No more sneaking around when we’re in charge!”

Had… the people of Hwandon disapproved of such a relationship? He moved back closer to Seonghwa, who had been silent, frozen, watching the scene unfold with his hand over his mouth. Hangguk had not been like that. Maybe because of Yunho and Mingi, but they were people who were open to such relationships. Was there so much prejudice here that these men snuck around for decades, all the while being dotingly in love?

Hyunseok’s face, weak as it was, reddened in anger as his voice rose. “You cannot change the minds of people through sheer force, _Hyung_! You cannot use brute force to gain what you want! I will not break sacred law in order to use such power to force people to bend to my will! I would rather die your secret lover than a _tyrant_.”

Hyungsik’s own face contorted with anger and Hongjoong knew what was about to happen. He gripped onto Seonghwa’s hand and rushed them around till they were standing with the kids again. Seonghwa wrapped his arms around Yeosang, hand on the blond’s head, to keep him close as Hongjoong settled his hands on Jongho’s shoulders. They were going to settle this, and no one was going to stop them.

“And I would rather become the worst tyrant in history than deny my love, _Seok_. I will no longer allow myself to feel ashamed amongst these people because I love another man. I will use whatever I must to force them to understand how I feel!” Hyungsik stepped back and pulled his sword from his sheath, an action the general knew well he could not take back. The act of fighting was not something he could stop now.

Hyunseok nodded and stepped back as well, his own thin hand reaching for his sword. “I am not ashamed of you. I have loved you more than the moon loves the stars around it. I have never once been afraid to express my love to you. But our differences will end here, Hyungsik. If I must die on this hill, so be it.”

Hyungsik bared his teeth, a growl ripping from him as he pushed himself forward, initiating the first strike himself. Hyunseok, despite his frail form, was quick to dodge out of the way, sword raised, but Hongjoong knew he couldn’t last long. If it came down to it, he would be the one to break that gem and make sure no one use it. Not if he was crazy enough to do something like swordfight the person he apparently loved so much.

“We have to make sure the gem is destroyed.” Yeosang spoke quietly, pulling Hehetmon from his bag to hold against his chest. “The locals told Jongho and I that both of them were killed and the gem destroyed. Hyunseok said he would tell us where the butterfly is, but how if Hyungsik is chasing him around like a madman?”

“Tell them about the voice. That one from the portal.” Voice?

Yeosang licked over his lips and gave a little nod, turning so he could face Hongjoong and Seonghwa both. “When we were on our way here, I heard a voice telling me to ‘fix what has been broken.’ It was two male voices mixed with a female’s voice. The two men were Hyungsik and Hyunseok’s voice, but Hyunseok didn’t seem to remember calling for help.”

Seonghwa slowly nodded his head, his eyes fixed still on the fight before them. Hyunseok was already running out of steam. “So, when those two in the square began fighting, it triggered a portal that sent us back here? Whoever sent for us must want the truth to be known. Of what happened. Of who they were.”

“Just join me, Hyunseok, and we can end this peacefully!” All heads turned to see Hyunseok on his knees, sword still in his shaking hands. Hyungsik stood in front of him. “I don’t wish to hurt you. End this foolish game and we can fix this! Quickly!”

“I… I told you. I refuse… to be a pawn…” Hyunseok coughed, his frail form shaking, as he stood back to his feet. A resilient fighter. Hongjoong admired that. “In your games. I will… die on this hill.”

Hyungsik didn’t look like he wanted to kill him. Just knock some sense in him in whatever way Hyungsik saw was appropriate. As Hyunseok raised his sword again, Hyungsik readied his stance and shook his head, ready to strike again.

“I will make you see my way however I must, Seok.”

Hyungsik made one terrible mistake, though. As he moved to strike, strike to a non-vital area as he had before, but he was caught off guard by Hyunseok moving forward—and striked him right in the chest, completely through.

Hyunseok did not scream. Yeosang hid his face in Seonghwa’s chest, and Seonghwa hid his face in Yeosang’s hair. Hongjoong and Jongho both gasped but watched with wide eyes and Hyungsik pulled the sword out and Hyunseok fell to the ground. Hyungsik looked horrified. He had stabbed his own lover with his own sword, like the act of finally wounding him made him realize how mad he had gone.

“Seok—Seok, I’m so sorry—” He dropped to his knees to pull the man to his chest, and it was then that Hongjoong noticed that… Hyunseok wasn’t bleeding.

“Hyung. Hyung, why isn’t he hurt? Why isn’t he bleeding?” Jongho spoke quietly, but Hongjoong could hear the way his voice quivered. He could only shake his head. Hyungsik seemed concerned as well, his fingers touching the open wound that did not bleed. Hongjoong watched his fingers shake, and confusion take over his features.

“I don’t… I don’t understand? Hyunseok, what’s happening?”

As the man began laughing, Hehetmon suddenly perked up and turned its little head to the scene before them. “Butterfly! It’s the butterfly!”

The butterfly?

Yeosang pulled himself from Seonghwa to see that there were tendrils of dusty, blue magic that were pouring into the air from the wound in Hyunseok’s chest. Hyungsik cradled the man’s head in his hand, another hand moving from his chest and away from the strange magic coming from him. It was clear Hyungsik had never seen the butterfly’s magic before.

“I must be honest, Hyung. I died months ago. Before you got the gem. When you left me to find it. The morning before I died, a blue butterfly flew into my room and landed on my chest. I could easily sense its magic. I prayed for it to allow my body to live long enough to stop you. And by the grace of the gods, my body has held up until now.”

He had been using the butterfly to keep his body alive. Hongjoong knew the butterflies were apparently powerful, but he had no idea they were that powerful. Hyungsik was slowly shaking his head, and in the light of the moonlight, tears could be seen dripping down his cheeks. The man was shaking, in a state of shock and disbelief, to a point in which he could not more or speak.

It felt as though they were witnessing something they weren’t meant to see. Hyungsik was distraught, but it was all the more reason for them to keep a close eye on him. It was entirely possible that he would act out and use the gem out of sheer grief.

“I have… one final thing to tell you, my love.” Hyungsik hurried and nodded his head, leaning in to hear Hyunseok’s weak voice. “I win.”

In an instant, Hyunseok reached for the pouch carrying the gem on Hyungsik’s side, using the last of his strength to smash it to the ground. Leaving it shattered and useless under the full moon Hyungsik had been waiting for.

But the gem did not just break. Something happened.

From the broken pieces of the gem game a glowing form, one that grew larger than any of them, larger than life, and floated in front of the lovers. It was a woman. A beautiful, beautiful woman. Dressed in the most elaborate robes, long hair flowing to her feet, the woman held her hands together.

_“Hyunseok of Hwandon, you have done well at protecting my gem. I see now its power was too great to have left with mankind. I am sorry you must perish at its hands.”_

Yeosang’s eyes lit up. “Her. It’s her. The third voice.”

“My goddess, I have done everything I could. It is an honor to die for you.” Hyunseok was too weak to move, the magic of the butterfly still leaking from his chest. “The natural world had taken me by illness anyways. This is a much more valiant way to die.”

The woman laughed, voice echoing in itself. She was made entirely of the same green color as the gem, and none of them could take their eyes off of her beauty. Only Hyungsik, who bowed his head in respect, did not look at her.

_“I have come to take you to the afterlife, Hyunseok. Come, and rest your body in paradise.”_ As she held her hand out, Hyunseok reached up, but then recoiled and turned his head to Hyungsik beside him.

“… my goddess, I have but one request. I wish to remain with Hyungsik. Please, turn our souls into stars, side by side, and allow us to be a reminder to mankind of the dangers of power. But the beauty of love.” Hyunseok turned his head to his lover, who stared down at him with wide eyes.

“If he agrees, I will turn you both into a constellation. Remaining forever in the stars together.”

Hyungsik’s lip trembled, but he nodded. He actually agreed. “Of course. My love, nothing can ever make up for what I’ve done. I went mad, I didn’t mean it—”

Hyunseok raised his hand to cover Hyungsik’s mouth, and Hongjoong watched as tears poured from Hyunseok’s eyes. “Please, do not beat yourself up over it. This way, we will always be with one another. Everyone will know, and we will wear our love proudly. As you wish, being above everyone.”

The goddess waved her hand, and in an instant, both of the men’s bodies glowed the same green. Hyunseok’s body floated in order to stand, and they watched the two glowing figures lean in to kiss one another. In that moment, the goddess shot their spirits into the sky, into the constellations above.

Behind the children’s backs, Hongjoong held Seonghwa’s hand.

“And you, little traveler. This is for you.” The goddess kneeled herself down, opening her hand so the blue butterfly was on the tip of her finger. “Thank you for answering the call. You must bring the swords to the present and fix what has been broken. Tell the people of Hwandon of the lovers. That no clan is exiled.”

Yeosang took the butterfly in his hands but didn’t move to absorb it yet. “What about the battle?”

The goddess smiled as she stood back up, towering over them once more. “The battle was stopped the second they became a constellation. It worked as a message, telling them what happened. Do not worry.”

With that, the goddess closed her eyes, and her glowing form and the shards of her gem disappeared. All that was left were the sword.

The voices were the spirits in the constellation and the goddess together. They had… they had seen the distress in present day Hwandon and asked for him, from the sky, sending a portal and all, to come and make sure it was fixed. That history could be fixed.

Hongjoong let Yeosang’s hand go so he could retrieve the swords, meanwhile Seonghwa and Jongho held Yeosang as he absorbed the butterfly. He dropped to his knees, blacking out for a few moments, but came to again. Jongho helped him up and kept a comforting hand on his back.

A portal opened up as it had before, coming from the same constellation above, but this time, everyone held hands with Hongjoong and the swords going last. Hehetmon was holding Seonghwa and Yeosang’s hands of course. This time, when going through the portal, all of them saw the figures of the generals waving goodbye to them, silently thanking them for what they had done.

When they left the portal, they were all closer than ever.

\---

When they arrived back in modern Hwandon, they found only a few seconds had passed since the first portal opened, given that Kihyun and Minhyuk were still on the ground. They pretended the story of the lovers, of the constellation that could be seen above, and that neither clan had been exiled. That was why no one had records of anyone actually coming back or leaving. Because they’d always been there.

The group watched as the clans reconciled, and the entire kingdom cheered for them. They had fixed what had been broken, and the clans could once again rule in peace together. With the problem fixed, the kingdom declared the holiday would be dedicated to the lovers. A festival to be held every year during that full moon.

It had been a strange world for them all. But necessary. One that brought them even closer together, though they had been split up for so long.

Each of them silently understood this journey was so much more than just their wishes being granted. There were so many lives on the line, so many stories to be heard, and lives to help fix. They had gotten themselves into something greater than they could have expected.

It was scary, but they knew they had one another.

Hehetmon opened its sharp eyes, the familiar “ _Kyu_!” ringing out, as the flower on its head began to spin. As always, the ground below them gave way for the dark portal, the tendrils of magic coming to twist and envelope them, pulling them in and twisting until they were gone.

In an instant, they were off to their next world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aah, we love getting together.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! As always, feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or things in other chapters you might like to see!


	8. Interlude: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we're about halfway through, things are about to get wiiiild. And a lot more is to come! My favorite plot chapters are coming up, and Yunho and Mingi will be returning too!
> 
> Thank you for reading, I'll see you on Monday!
> 
> UPDATE: August 1st, 2020
> 
> The chapter has been edited and shortened. Thank you for understanding!

~xXx~

Wooyoung enjoyed whatever it was he and San were right now. They were too fond now to simply be employee and employer. The younger had been so shy when he first came to the shop, wondering if it was possible to wish for companionship. Something so beautiful and promising that Wooyoung couldn’t help but to take him in and fulfill his wish, the price being for him being the work he would perform at the shop. Which would end when he felt he found the companionship he wished for.

Wooyoung… feared when it would happen. But despite how confident San was now, how easily he made friends with the people they met on errands and the people he met around town on his own, San saw the shop and returned every single day. He wouldn’t know where to begin with asking San why. He allowed all of the touches, the hugs, every bit of it. He wouldn’t ruin what was being built.

Today, they had been visiting one of Wooyoung’s old friends, a human witch that lived in a small home on the outskirts of the city. San had made up with her quickly, the two giggling over tea and talking about magic, while Wooyoung had been fondly standing on her porch and watching them, his own teacup warm in his hand. For the briefest of moments, he felt himself happy and content.

It was the moment that he stepped back onto the property of the teashop’s yard that he felt it. San had been holding his hand and going on about sand magic with Wooyoung, something he learned from the witch, and had kept walking on when he felt he was dragging Wooyoung behind. The younger looked back at the shopkeeper, whose eyes had hardened. Wooyoung had never appeared that way to San before.

“Woo? Wooyoung, what’s wrong?” San let go of his hand so he could walk over and place his hands on either side of Wooyoung’s face, whose eyes were trained on the porch outside of the shop’s main room. It was when San turned that he noticed the chimes twisting and playing in the air despite there being no wind anywhere near them. The air around the shop was still, but the chimes still behaved erratically.

“San.” Wooyoung’s voice, usually light and happy, had lowered and baselined significantly. “I’m going to go inside. I want you to stay on the sidewalk. Not in the yard, not anywhere on the property. You stand on the sidewalk by the road or across the road. Not here.”

Wooyoung finally turned his attention to San, who looked more concerned than he’d ever been. Wooyoung was serious sometimes, but never this _darkly_ serious.

“If it’s something dangerous, let me protect you! Let me go inside with you so I can help!” San, as mature as he had become, was still also very much a child in his heart. Wooyoung was a wizard, centuries old, one of the strongest across the multiverses, yet he pouted and wished to protect him. His heart was one of the most admirable Wooyoung had ever know.

Now was not the time for fondness.

“Walk to the sidewalk or I will place a spell on you to keep you still, I swear to god, San, I’m not kidding. Trust me on this. I don’t know what’s about to happen.” But he knew who was sitting inside his shop. The only person who could possibly wiggle through his protection spell. Someone of the same magical caliber.

San was still pouting. His eyes flickered to the chimes and back to Wooyoung a few times, hands slipping down to grip onto Wooyoung’s shoulders. “Please. Wooyoung, I don’t like this. Let me go in or I’ll force my way in.”

Ah, so it had to be like that. Wooyoung sighed, eyes clenched as he raised one hand to San’s chest. In an instant they were turned around, San’s back facing the street, and as Wooyoung’s hand pushed at the boy’s chest he was pushed out to the sidewalk. When San, in all of his shock and anger, tried to walk back, he hit a clear, unseen magical wall.

“Wooyoung!” San’s fists pounded on the wall, his voice cracking as it raised. “Wooyoung, let me in! I’m not letting you go in there alone!” Even when he tried moving to any area around the shop, climbing on bushes to get over them, he was met with the same magical wall prohibiting him from getting close.

He couldn’t bear to look at the look in San’s eyes. The sheer desperation and fear. San didn’t understand, and he couldn’t risk something happening to the boy inside. Because this was a magical signature that Wooyoung hadn’t felt for centuries. One he knew could destroy San in an instant if he wished for it. And there would be nothing Wooyoung could do to stop it.

“I’ll be fine, San! Just—forgive me, okay? I’m sorry. I’m sorry, and I’ll hurry. Just stay outside.” Wooyoung gave San one final apologetic glance, ignoring the continuous screams from San behind him. People walking by must think San was crazy yelling at nothing. But he was persistent regardless.

When Wooyoung walked in he immediately walked to the entrance to the main room, the sliding door closed, and kicked his shoes off. The presence inside was making his body shake with anger. He would never be afraid of him. But he would resent the man with every fiber of his being for as long as he lived.

Slowly, he slid the door open, revealing just exactly who he thought was sitting at the table in the center of the room, sipping at some tea, kettle and all in front of him.

Eden.

“Well, are we collecting strays now, Wooyoung? Your boy is being awfully loud out there.” The man laughed under his breath, and Wooyoung could only clench his fists as he walked in to sit opposite to the man.

“San isn’t a stray. He works here. Part of the fulfillment of his wish.” Eden raised an eyebrow, smirking again, and sipped at his tea. “Why are you here, Eden? Your wish is being fulfilled as we speak. You have no reason to visit me any longer.”

Eden placed the cup down onto the table, quirking an eyebrow up at Wooyoung. Oh, ow condescending he still was. “Oh, but don’t I? You are the vessel for this magic, are you not? I believe you’ve forgotten what I’ve done for you.”

Wooyoung was clenching his fists so tight he was shocked his skin hadn’t ripped. “I had the powers of space-time travel long before you.”

“But you could not grant wishes, could you?”

“I didn’t ask for it!” Wooyoung finally shouted, releasing a small bit of the pent-up anger that was making his body shake. “I asked for none of this, Eden!”

The man before him did not flinch at the yelled words, was only twirling the tassels on the ends of his sleeves. “Mm, but from what I can see, you’ve created quite the little world for yourself, haven’t you? I know you, Wooyoung, you’re happy to be helping others with this gift I’ve given you. I bet you even forgot for a while about the fact that I _built_ this shop for you. I even let you have the freedom to roam around this world, how nice of me.”

Eden still hadn’t answered his question. He was just being condescending and trying to remind Wooyoung of the past that Eden himself had warped. Because Eden knew while Wooyoung could sass him and yell at him, he held the power to destroy him. And Wooyoung wouldn’t see San again.

“ _This_ timeline is going well, Eden, you have no reason to come and bother me about the past. I know what happened. I know what you did to _me_ and what you did to _them_. I know why I’m here, and I’m doing it. Did you just come to remind me it’ll be over soon? Taunt me with the fact that my own end is near, Eden? Isn’t that why you forced this magic on me? To taunt me and make me miserable like you did to them?”

Wooyoung didn’t care. He didn’t care anymore. Because Eden wouldn’t kill him until the minute the journey was over. Because without Wooyoung, the universes couldn’t be bent to his will. Eden had broken every damn rule their ancestors in the sky had placed for them. He had destroyed their world for it. Killed their friends. Forced Wooyoung into a debt the wizard had to adhere to.

Eden’s eyes narrowed as the smirk that had been on his lips the entire damn time faded. There was the evil Eden he knew all too well. “You’re still an insolent child, Wooyoung. That little charm you placed on your boy out there cannot keep him from me. I could easily bring him in here and make you watch him die slowly, make sure you never forget the sound of him choking on his own blood as he cried for you. Shall I do that to remind you of your place, Wooyoung?”

Eden stood, and Wooyoung knew he fucked up.

Before Wooyoung could respond, in the time it took his eyes to widen, Eden had outstretched his hand and yanked San into the shop, whisking past the chimes and the open door on the porch, until San’s neck collided with the palm of Eden’s hand. Wooyoung shot up and went to move to San’s side, but Eden’s free hand shot up to make sure he kept Wooyoung still.

“I wonder how much of your history you’ve told your boy toy. Hm, name, occupation, all well and good.” San was not choking, but breathing with Eden’s hand curled around his throat, barely off the ground, had to be torturous.

“Eden. Stop. I’ll apologize but put him down.” Wooyoung spoke low, quiet, but refused to beg someone like Eden. If San was to learn about what happened between them, Wooyoung wanted to be the one to tell him.

The eldest among them turned to look at San’s reddening face, something dark brewing in his eyes. “Wooyoung is quite the witch, isn’t he? Did you know I gave him his power? Thanks to me, you get to spend your days with him. Did you know he used to be one of the elders of our world? We were appointed together with a few other people. Our previous elders had almost diminished all of their magic, so they became stars as we all would one day. Our dear Wooyoung was an elder over time regarding space-time and travel.”

San was still struggling, but Wooyoung could see the boy trying to mouth Wooyoung’s name. “Eden. Stop, I’m sorry, let him _go_. Don’t bring him into something that only regards us.” He tried so hard to remain calm and cool so not to worry San more than he knew the boy was already worried.

“Long before us, the elder of space-time would be able to alter universes. Then they placed a law banning it, you see, because the elder had used it to run away from our world. They banished the ability from all of those with space-time magic. How cruel, isn’t it? To keep such a power back. But I made sure our Wooyoung was given the ability. Space-time wizards are the only ones who can genetically obtain the power. It was only one of two banished powers.”

Wooyoung swallowed hard and looked at San still, who was breathing, and trying to turn his head to find Wooyoung in the room. “I’m right here, San, I’m so sorry—I’m so sorry, I was trying to keep you safe—"

“Wooyoung was dying, you see. Tried fighting me with every last bit of magic he possessed. But I used the time-pause spell and paused his time, gave him the magic he needed, and now he’s alive. Isn’t it wonderful for you, little boy, that I saved him for so long? Now you get to hold his hand and drink tea with him. While he works to make sure my wish is granted. I made it so as long as he has an object of equal value, his magic won’t be diminished.”

Eden wasn’t going into too many specifics yet, but that was something that Wooyoung was grateful for. These were stories Wooyoung wanted told from his side.

“He will die as soon as my wish is granted. His purpose will be fulfilled. He will perish like all others before him. Like Yeonjun, who perished for me to give Wooyoung the magic he needed.” This time, Eden’s cold eyes looked to Wooyoung. “You remember, don’t you, Wooyoung? Sweet Yeonjun. He was the elder over elemental magic. Such a shame he had to leave us so soon.”

Wooyoung couldn’t believe that the man would dare speak his friend’s name in such a way. Knowing he had been the one who killed him, right in front of Wooyoung during their final confrontation. “You murdered him, Eden. You murdered him in front of me and B—”

“Do not speak that name in front of me!” Eden bellowed into the room, voice shaking the chimes Wooyoung had inside the shop. “I got what I needed from him, alive or dead he’s no use to me!”

The time-pause spell was what he stole. The one that had been used to save Wooyoung by the fourth elder. The one Eden used his magic to override and make Wooyoung in his debt instead. Wooyoung held his hands up, defensive, and tried to calm the eldest down. Anger was still boiling over inside him. But he had to remain calm. Even as San’s fingers tugged and clawed as they tried to get him free, Wooyoung had to be calm.

“The map is being made, Eden. You know where the final banished spell is. You’ve done everything in every timeline you needed to this time. It’s working. Isn’t that enough? You’ll have everything you want. Could ever want.”

Eden tossed San away after a moment of contemplation, right into one of the nearby walls, and Wooyoung finally felt the ability to move. He ran over and crouched down next to San, wrapping his arms around him as the boy coughed. He had to make sure San stayed down and didn’t try fighting Eden in his anger.

“I came to warn you, Wooyoung. I feel you have been messing with this timeline. Betraying me behind my back. I won’t stand for insolence. You have been warned. If I need to, I will come and destroy everything you have ever felt dear to you, right in front of your eyes. Try it, Wooyoung. Try and mess with this timeline. I will return and make sure you never forget who has the power over you.”

In the blink of an eye, the image of Eden was gone, the heavy presence dissipating from the atmosphere of the shop. Eden had stolen the ability to travel amongst the universes. He’d only been an elder of light and dark magic. But he gave Wooyoung the ability to grant wishes instead of doing it himself so he could torture him. Besides, Wooyoung was more knowledgeable in it. He would be able to make the wish come true faster than he could. In the end, he would die, just as Eden wished.

“I’m so sorry, San.” Wooyoung cradled the boy against his chest, one arm around him, one hand in San’s hair. He rocked him gently, the boy’s erratic breathing finally beginning to even out once more. He was going to have bruises on his skin and Wooyoung would have to live with knowing it was his fault “I tried keeping you out, I tried keeping you away from him.”

\---

Wooyoung stayed like that for what felt like hours, holding San, trying to keep him from freaking out or acting mad. Just stroking his hair and trying to calm him as he coughed and began to feel like himself again. The room was silent once more, save for San’s coughing, and Wooyoung’s gentle apologies.

San rattled with another cough. “I’ll… kill that dude.” His voice was raspy from the hand on his throat, but somehow Wooyoung still found the energy to laugh. “I’m sorry about what he did to you.”

“No, no, it’s… it’s fine. Well, it isn’t _fine_ , but I don’t have a choice but to say that it’s fine. It was centuries ago. I’ve known for a long time I was going to die. I just didn’t know it was going to be so soon after meeting you. I’d… I’d forgotten when you were here that I was going to die eventually.”

San moved so he was sitting up beside of Wooyoung, and it was then he could see the handprint on San’s neck. “You said ‘this timeline’ a lot. Do you exist in another one too?”

“No. Well, technically, but not in the way you’re thinking. The shop exists on its own plane that can be accessed by any timeline. I was… I was talking about the group on their journey right now.”

“Jongho and them?”

Wooyoung gave a little nod. “Yeah. Them. There’s a lot about myself and this journey I haven’t told you. I was going to, I promise. Not just gonna die out of the blue and never tell you. I wanted it on my own terms, though. There’s so much I’ve been doing and so much to worry about that I… forgot? About Dying?”

San was quiet for a minute, but his hand still moved to find its way into Wooyoung’s between them. “You can tell me in your own time. Won’t make you tell me after all of that. But I’m gonna make sure you don’t die. Holy fuck, you’re not dying on my watch.”

Now Wooyoung laughed again. Because San was such a… human. Such a human in that he wanted so desperately to be able to do the impossible. Wooyoung squeezed the hand in his own, head falling back against the wall as he turned to look at the very serious boy before him. “And how, San, do you plan on doing that?”

“I don’t know yet. But I won’t let you die. You’re not leaving me. Not leaving this shop. I just—I’m not letting you go.” San was speaking such strong words through such a pout. He was adorable. And Wooyoung appreciated his presence in the shop more than he could have ever realized. “Stop laughing, Woo! I’m serious!”

“I know, I know.” Wooyoung grinned but did his best not to laugh. “You humans are so resilient. So headstrong. I admire it. I want you to know your world will continue turning even if I’m not there in it, Sannie. Memories live on even when people don’t. Yeonjun… I have a lot of memories of. He’s not here, but he’s still here. And I’ll be like that for you and it’ll be okay.”

San shook his head. Didn’t give himself a chance to speak, just shook his head and squeezed Wooyoung’s hand tighter. “No. No, I don’t want _my_ world to turn without you in it. I don’t—I don’t like how you’re talking to me like you’re dying _tomorrow_ , Woo! I have time to figure it out, I’ll make whatever wish I want to so I can make sure you stay with me!”

Wooyoung’s eyes met San’s, ones so full of life and fear, with his own saddened ones. “Sannie. I’ve been alive for centuries. If you keep me alive, I’ll also be alive for centuries after _you_ pass. Don’t make a decision that’ll alter your life just for someone like me. Everyone will be alright without the shop. You’ll grow up more and have a life and the world will turn and you’ll learn to move on.”

San huffed and took his hand back, leaving Wooyoung’s hand open and waiting between them. The younger pulled his legs up, knees to his chest, and shook his head again. “For someone that’s been alive for centuries, you really suck at this, Woo.”

“I don’t suck at this. I’m being realistic, San—”

“No, you’re not _thinking_. You’re not thinking about all our time together. About the fact that we’ve been holding hands, that I basically live here, we do everything together—do you not realize it? Have you not realized it? Why I would literally give my life up to make sure you stay by my side?”

Wooyoung slowly took his own hand back and… paused. “I don’t know if I have.” He had. He had and he didn’t want to admit it.

“I love you, Wooyoung. A lot. I’ve loved you for a _long_ time. It’s hard because I know you’ll live longer than me. Physically I’m already older than you. I’m getting older. And I shouldn’t love someone who will outlive me. But I do.”

San’s cheeks were red, but he wasn’t looking at Wooyoung while he confessed. Wooyoung, who was watching him with wide eyes, finally put all of the puzzle pieces together. San loved him.

  
That’s why he could still come to the shop, though his wish had been fulfilled.

Because the companionship he’d been searching for was so much deeper than just a friend or people to talk to. He’d wanted something like love, someone who could understand him and stay by his side forever. The answer to that had been Wooyoung. They had so slowly fallen in love that Wooyoung hadn’t even noticed just how much he loved San too.

To really love someone was such a wonderful feeling. Wooyoung had fallen for many people in his centuries of being alive. But they were all flings, people he could love and fill with love for a short time. Because he was someone who would live for a long time, but never knew exactly when he was going to die.

San had come over him like a hurricane. Sweeping him off his feet and making him forget just what a horrible fate that would become him. His cute, squeaky laugh, the way he always knew how to make Wooyoung happy, the way he interacted with people and just made them all fall in love with him, he… he was wonderful. San really was wonderful.

“I’m gonna make sure you stay with me. No matter what I have to do. I’ll figure something out, I swear it. Eternity be damned, I’ll live forever out of spite!”

Wooyoung laughed _harder_ at that. San finally looked over, lopsided grin and all, and Wooyoung could see stars twinkling in his eyes. Wooyoung could feel water filling his eyes, but he was just too happy to care.

“Okay. I’ll let you think of a way to live forever out of spite. I still don’t want you changing your entire life for me. But…” Wooyoung reached out to take San’s hand again, the other boy’s eyes following the line of their hands to Wooyoung’s eyes. “Let me love you for the time that I have. Without thinking of death. Just let me make the most of the time I know I have.”

The group had been through a number of worlds. They had collected many butterflies and were making good time. The spell of an easy time would not last forever. For San and Wooyoung, it had been a few weeks. For them, in their travels, it may have been the same—but also maybe months or years, depending on the world. They could age for months in one world, but the reality was they’d been gone for a minute. Time was funny that way.

San’s eyes had widened upon Wooyoung’s own confession, and the eager boy pushed himself close so he could hold Wooyoung’s face in his hands, much like he had done when they came to the shop earlier. Such a tender action, Wooyoung hoped he never stopped.

“Seriously?” San was grinning so wide, dimples firmly on display, and Wooyoung was afraid he might rip his cheeks from how happy he looked. “ _Seriously_?”

“Okay, now who’s bad at this?” Both of them giggled like children, San moving in to press their foreheads together. They had been like this before, had always shared skinship moments, but there was just something so much more tender about this time. Something precious, just for the two of them.

San leaned back, looking at Wooyoung like he hung the stars in the sky, letting his thumb stroke over Wooyung’s cheek, before he leaned in to kiss him. _Finally_.

The one thing about Wooyoung and San was their lack of boundaries, really. They had always been touchy, always holding one another, kissing each other’s cheeks, just… generally being physically affectionate. Even though they were employee and boss, technically. But it had always felt natural. Wooyoung found that kissing San also felt very, very natural for him.

Kissing San was like... laying in the grass beneath the summer sun. It was warm, soft, heating his cheeks and sending warmth throughout his entire body. Before San, Wooyoung was unsure what happiness was. What had given him happiness for the centuries they hadn't known one another? What had his purpose been in continuing to live, when he knew death was looming over him?

He was unsure, but he knew that he was glad he was at San's side now.

San gave him purpose. San gave him a reason to fight. Together, together they were unstoppable, weren't they? 

San pulled back from the kiss and, oh, Wooyoung wouldn't forget the sweet look in the boy's eyes, nor the way his cheeks had flushed the prettiest pink. They took one look at each other before breaking out into laughter, San leaning forward to let their foreheads press together. Wooyoung felt a larger hand reach between them, lacing its fingers together with Wooyoung's own.

"I'll go through Hell if I have to, Wooyoung. I'll do whatever it takes to save you." San spoke so surely for someone as young as he was. He was brazen, unafraid, a fire burning in his heart at any little thing. He was a lightning strike in Wooyoung's life that he could have never expected. For that, though, he was thankful. Because San made him feel... alive. Truly, truly alive. 

San gave him a home again.

"... I'll hold you to that, okay? But you're not allowed to die in the process." Wooyoung had closed his eyes, so he had no idea what San looked like now. But he did hear the younger scoff.

"Not gonna leave you, Wooyoung. Not ever."

Wooyoung was unsure what to think. Unsure of whether or not he should place so much trust into a human who had barely known life. He couldn't fix centuries of banished magic. But... Wooyoung wanted to. He wanted to trust San, trust he could fix this, give them a future like the one Wooyoung was trying to give the group out traveling. Instead of speaking, Wooyoung only bit his lip and tightened his grip on the younger's hand.

For now, Wooyoung would push his fears away and trust San.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or have anything you want to see! 
> 
> Thank you again for reading!!


	9. World: Seven Seas Port

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, we love couples getting together.
> 
> This is the second to last really fun chapter before all of the action starts! Even the next one, which i just finished, has a looot of hints for the future. Exciting!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!!

~xXx~

Seonghwa was elated to see a bright blue ocean in this world.

The worlds previously were… alright. Following Hwandon they found a dark underwater world where they had to escape a sea serpent, a world that was nestled entirely in trees where they had to learn how to fly on birds, and finally a desert world that had taken them a week just to find a caravan. Turns out the butterfly was just in an oasis, but, damn, it had been hard just to locate the oasis. Seonghwa thought he was going to go _mad_. Thankfully they traded some of the money they’d had from other worlds to Wooyoung for some water and food.

When they arrived at this world, they were immediately on the waterfront, ships docked as far as the eye could see. Seonghwa had noticed that Jongho and Yeosang were fond of the worlds covered in water. They had been a blessing with the desert world but loved to see water everywhere. It was endearing.

“Butterfly! Butterfly!” Hehetmon bounced onto Hongjoong’s head happily, twirling itself all around. “I feel the butterfly!”

“Will you—Yeosang! Your pet!” Hongjoong tried to push the creature off, but it just floated into Yeosang’s awaiting arms.

“Sorry, hyung.” Yeosang just laughed as the created nestled against his chest. Jongho even reached out to pet over its back.

Seonghwa laughed a little and folded his arms over his chest. “Well, Hongjoong, looks like we’ll find jobs as _pirates_ here.”

It was truly a remarkable sight. Water as blue as the sky above, sunshine pouring over a sand colored city, with flags of every color flying between the buildings, ships of all sizes and types lined up on the dock, and in the distance Seonghwa could even see the sight of a beautiful beach. It was a tropical paradise. And given their last few worlds, they needed a tropical paradise.

“Might as well find out where we are.” Hongjoong led them over to a group of men loading some cargo onto one of the larger ships. “Hey. We’re traveling through, no idea where we are. Looking for work. Think you can help us out?”

“Eloquent.” Hongjoong elbowed Seonghwa in the side for that one.

The man turned around to look at them, eyeing them up and down, before he turned back to pass off the crate he’d held in his arms.

“You must not be from anywhere around here if you don’t know the Seven Seas Port. Center for all water trading in the surrounding islands.” Ah, so they really _were_ in a tropical paradise. “Can probably find work on the docks loading shit like this onto the boats. Hope you’re not looking to hit it rich, though. Most of these guys are sticklers with their money.”

“We’re just looking for enough money for food and somewhere to stay while we’re here.” Seonghwa cut in, knowing Hongjoong might say something snarky to the man. “Is there someone over the docks that we could speak to?”

The guy and the other man loading next to him both laughed. Seonghwa really had to keep a hand on Hongjoong’s arm, squeezing it as though to dare him to say anything. “Fuck no, it’s every captain for themselves here. There’s a network for trading, but it’s every man for himself, mostly. Captains are all probably on their boats.”

“Thank you.” Was all Seonghwa said before yanking Hongjoong aside, the kids following right behind them. “We won’t go on that ship, but we’ve got a start.”

“We don’t know anything!” Hongjoong ripped his arm back and glanced back towards the boat they had left. “What, just go on one of the boats and ask about work? With these guys? No way in hell we’d make it on any of those ships without the other crew members harassing us before we could talk to the captain. And _you_ don’t want me to fight.”

Yeosang looked down at the little creature in his arms, its flower closed atop its head. “Hehet, where do you feel the butterfly? Do you think you can lead us to it?”

“Like a dog sniffing it out?” Jongho looked at Yeosang rather quizzically, which Yeosang only frowned at.

“Something like that. Hehet has sensed the magic before, he knew in Tokyo that it was near the arcade. He couldn’t find it in Giverny or Hwandon because it had been masked by other magic.” Yeosang held him up, the little flower beginning to unfold. “Well?”

The little being made a humming noise, wiggling its little arms and legs as it concentrated. “Close! On the docks!”

Seonghwa nodded and watched as Hehetmon began pointing them in the direction of… a ship. Actually, leading them to a very pinpointed location, interestingly. So, the butterfly might be easier for them to obtain it this time. Or so he hoped.

Seonghwa knew this journey was going to take a long time. Truly, he did. He knew that it would be hard to obtain all of the butterflies and get Yeosang’s memories back. But it was beginning to feel as though it would never end. All of their wishes had been so large, sure the price would be large, but… Seonghwa remembered what he had been told when he was a child. About going on this journey.

He had kept that bit of himself back for a while now. He knew there was someone else involved with this, the very one who—the very one who met him in that tower centuries before. Wooyoung had told him nothing of it, never spoke of it, but always placed emphasis on how important this journey was to all of them. There was always something distressed in Wooyoung’s eyes. He knew Hongjoong had seen it. But they were still as clueless as ever.

Seonghwa remembered the man’s face. It had been partially shadowed, but he hadn’t forgotten it. He hadn’t forgotten what happened that day. He only hoped Yeosang, Jongho, and Hongjoong would make it safely out of this journey.

Hongjoong. He had no idea what they were, currently, but he missed the alone time they’d had in Hwandon. They had basically started a different life there in the six months they were apart from the kids and Hehetmon. Suddenly, back on the journey, they never had alone time. Could never return to the trustful silence of their tent in Hwandon. Seonghwa refused still to consider it love, but a comfort he wished for again.

“The butterfly is on the boat! Somewhere!” Hehetmon, while Seonghwa had been lost in thought, had brought them to a large, dark brown boat. Definitely… a pirate ship. No one was outside of it, currently, but there was no board lowered for which they could get on it. It was a start, as anything else lately was.

It was, by all means, a typical pirate ship. Made of dark wood, all of the sails rolled up as it sat still in the water, the large chains of the anchors glistening in the sun. Now that they were close, though, the ship almost appeared to be a dark purple, with trims of gold evident on the masts and sides. It was beautiful. And it contained Yeosang’s butterfly.

Hongjoong looked around until he saw someone walking along the dock, and before anyone could stop him, he ran up and yanked on the man’s arm. Which startled him and made him yelp.

“You. Whose ship is this? Where are they?” The man pulled himself away from Hongjoong, eyes wide and frightened.

“Th-that’s the Alligator! Captain Shownu’s ship.” When he tried pulling away, Hongjoong just yanked him back against.

“Where would I find the captain?”

“Th-the tavern! On the main road, you’ll see the sign!” Hongjoong finally let the scrawny man go, who hurried away quickly down the dock to the ship he was supposed to be working on. Seonghwa sighed in response, but… that was more of a lead than they had before.

When Hongjoong tried to smirk at Seonghwa, to silently tell him ‘I told you so,’ Seonghwa just shook his head and looked away. He was also forcing himself not to smile at it.

“Okay, a tavern it is.” Jongho folded his arms over his chest, giving a little nod to Yeosang before looking to his hyungs. “Can’t be hard to find, right? If it’s the same Shownu that Yeosang and I met, I can find him and ask him about the ship. Right?”

Hongjoong stepped forward and draped an arm up over Jongho’s shoulders. Seonghwa smiled at them, if only now because it was funny watching Hongjoong act like he was taller than the boy. “Jongho, how about we let _me_ do the talking in the tavern.” He gave the boy’s back a little pat, and now Yeosang was laughing.

“What just happened?” Jongho, confused as ever, watched as all of them started walking away and down the street to find the tavern. “What did I say?!”

\---

Hongjoong had a good idea of how he was going to find this captain. He’d let Jongho and Yeosang point him in the right direction, sure, but he was _not_ letting the kids talk to a possible dangerous man. Whose crew might be around them and ready to strike if anyone approached their captain.

It was odd getting back into a new ‘normal’ again. A normal that didn’t include it just being him and Seonghwa for months, not getting to touch him, kiss him, or _anything_. They had grown so close when they were in the camp, had developed a trust Hongjoong would have never guessed they would have, but as soon as they left it was as though it had never happened. In the world with the birds, Seonghwa had briefly told him they should be quiet about everything for Yeosang and Jongho’s sake. Hongjoong was upset, had no idea why they needed to, but respected his decision anyways.

They’d find time again.

Hongjoong, personally, knew he had developed feelings for the older man. He knew what had been developing was love. He knew it, Seonghwa knew it, but Seonghwa was still holding himself back. Guarding his heart and only letting Hongjoong so close… even now. Hongjoong snuck looks over at the man, seeing his smile (only half fake now, he’d say), seeing how he lit up around Yeosang—it made him happy. It made him smile more too.

“Hyung?” Jongho nudged Hongjoong in the side, making the elder whip his head around. He knew from the boy’s smirk that he’d been watching. “Did something happen between you two finally?”

Hongjoong cleared his throat as they walked, absently bringing his hand up to wipe at his nose. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. But keep your voice down.”

That only made Jongho grin wider. Seonghwa and Yeosang were talking about the flags a few feet away, but they could probably still hear them if they were paying attention. “So, something _did_ happen. We thought so. Yeosang noticed it as soon as we saw you in Hwandon again.”

Hongjoong, ever the statue, still didn’t look down. “We didn’t do _anything_ in Hwandon.”

“You _look_ at one another different. Even when you guys bicker, there’s something different about your eyes. Did you two finally kiss and make up?” The younger moved in closer, eyes scanning Hongjoong’s face for any emotion that would give him any indication of just exactly what they did.

In response, the elder rolled his eyes and tried pushing Jongho back a step or two. “We were alone for six entire months, were the only people we each knew, and could barely communicate. Of course, we got a little closer, anyone would have under those conditions. But nothing happened.”

Jongho didn’t seem _entirely_ satisfied with the answer but moved away a little more regardless. Hongjoong knew that smile. The look in his eye. He was going to use whatever information he thought he got about them for his own evil purposes. In other words, teasing the two of them alongside Yeosang at any chance he got.

“You two seem closer too, actually. Maybe not like you once were, but closer than you were weeks ago.” Jongho didn’t seem embarrassed about that. Just… smiled. The same kind of soft smile Hongjoong smiled at Seonghwa when the other wasn’t looking.

“I never stopped loving him. Even if he’s forgotten about me. Every butterfly makes him more and more himself again. He’s not as snarky as he used to be, though. Not as much. But he was… mostly just like that with me. He was polite and kind to his brother and advisor. I hope he can find comfort in me again like before. He’s been a lot more comfortable around me lately.”

Dammit, leave it to Jongho to be a romantic. No, maybe Yeosang didn’t love him the way he once did. But Hongjoong could already tell Yeosang cared about him. Maybe it was a relationship now built on Yeosang knowing Jongho would sacrifice anything for him, but it was because Yeosang knew the depths of what he’d meant to Jongho before that allowed him to feel that comfort. Yeah, they’d be fine. It’d all be over eventually, and they could truly rebuild what they had.

“Oh, is this it?” Hongjoong and Jongho glanced to Yeosang before following his pointed finger to a sign. A sign that was… just a pint of beer. Really on the nose, kinda boring, but got the feeling across. With so many different languages coming through here, maybe working with pictures made it easier.

“Here’s the plan. I’m going to go in with Jongho and we’re going to get this settled. Seonghwa, you and Yeosang stay right by the door in case we need you.” Hongjoong bent his head to the side a few times to crack his neck, yanking the black cloak up higher on his neck. He was dying of a heat stroke in this world, but he looked better with the cloak. More mysterious.

Yeosang, for once, pouted at their leader. “I’m always left outside. Why don’t I get to help out more? I was trained in sword fighting too once.”

Right, he was a prince. Just like Yunho. Hongjoong sighed, giving Yeosang a sympathetic look, and Seonghwa must have been working on the same wavelength given he was the one who reached out to put an arm around Yeosang first.

“Sorry, Prince Yeosang. This journey is all about you and your memories. If something were to happen to you, it would all be for nothing.” Seonghwa gave the boy’s shoulder a little pat. “You’re the thing we’re protecting the most right now. Remember that without most of your memories, your soul won’t be whole again.”

Yeosang nodded quietly. Hongjoong knew he wanted to help more. But they couldn’t let anything happen to him. None of their wishes would come true. The journey wouldn’t end. Yeosang would… die if not enough memories were given back to him. It was selfish to keep Yeosang safe, yes, but they had no choice. They truly had no choice in the matter.

“Alright. I just—when we were in Hwandon, Jongho got attacked, and there was nothing that I could do. I had no weapons. Seeing him like that and not being able to help hurt me.” Hehetmon whined and moved to sit up on Yeosang’s shoulder, hugging at his head. “In every world we’ve been to, like in Giverny, we’ve met monsters and I’ve had to stay back. It doesn’t feel right to me.”

“And maybe it isn’t right that we’re keeping you from helping.” Hongjoong spoke low, quiet, and Jongho’s head whipped around to look at him. “Let Jongho and I go and see about getting us on that ship. Maybe while we’re there we can teach you some more about sword fighting. Okay?”

Yeosang nodded, still not smiling, but something seemed to relax his stance. That would be enough for now. Seonghwa gave Hongjoong a quick nod and waved him off. He’d talk to him while they went inside the tavern.

“Hyung.” Jongho was on him the second the door closed. “Are you really going to let Yeosang fight?”

“He’s got to protect himself. And we should have taught him before. He’s feeling more like a person again, he’s wanting to protect the group. He’s a prince. It’s in his blood. It isn’t fair to treat him like a baby when he’s—what, 22? He’s a man. He can sword fight if he wants.”

Jongho continued to stare at him. Obviously conflicted on whether he agreed or wanted to continue protecting Yeosang himself. “I just… I worry about him. I know he’ll be good, he’s _really_ strong. He’s the _only_ person I knew in Anthina who was anywhere near as strong as I was. But just because he’s strong it doesn’t mean something bad won’t happen. Or he won’t get hurt.”

Hongjoong just let a hand drift to rest on Jongho’s back. “Then we’ll let you be the one to teach him more. Make sure he knows everything you know. Now come on. Show me which person in here is Shownu.”

Jongho’s mouth hung open like he was going to rebut against Hongjoong’s words, but he slowly shut his mouth and nodded. Together they slowly made their way to the bartender, Jongho’s eyes scanning the room. It was dark, yes, but Hongjoong trusted that the boy would be able to find him. The room was also full of the sounds of talking and laughter, so no one noticed the strangers at first.

The bartender, an older, balding man, glanced up when they approached. “Never seen your faces before.” His voice was deep, rough from time and drinking, and he placed the glass in his hand down when Hongjoong approached him. “What can I do you for?”

“We’re looking for someone, actually. Captain Shownu.” The bartender raised an eyebrow, a smirk spreading on his lips as he silently chuckled.

“Why’s a stranger small as you looking for the captain of the Alligator? Ain’t lookin’ to try and pick a fight with the strongest crew at this port, are you?”

Hongjoong, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, just stared dead on at the man. “No. Looking to talk to him about something.”

“Captain Shownu ain’t lookin’ for partners, runt.” The man, still smirking, began to move away to pick up another glass from behind the counter. “Might wanna try a lower-ranking ship to start trading, kid. He’s in a meetin’ in the back with the owner.”

“I’m not _looking_ to trade! Stop patronizing me, I just need to have a word with him, and it isn’t any of your business!”

The bartender narrowed his eyes at them, glancing to Jongho beside him for just a second before placing the glass down and putting both his hands onto the wood of the bar. “Listen. Captain Shownu is busy and has a lot to deal with right now. He ain’t gonna speak to someone as fuckin’ rude as you kids.”

“Please,” Jongho, moving swiftly in front of Hongjoong, placed his own hands onto the counter “we just need a second with him. It’s important. Just let us in there to see him for a second.”

“No.” Hongjoong was really, really about to clock the guy himself. “Captain Shownu is—”

“Is what?”

Jongho and Hongjoong turned their heads to see two men walking out of a closed door off to the side. One dressed in leather pants, leather boots, a white shirt untied to his navel practically, and a thick, jeweled belt around his pants. The other had on looser fitting black pants, laced up black boots, and a black shirt loose around his collar. That guy had a nice sword strapped to his side and rings on every finger.

“Wonho and Shownu.” Was the only thing Jongho whispered under his breath. So, one of them was the captain they were looking for. “Shownu is in all black.”

“I was _sayin’_ Captain Shownu is busy right now. Y’all done already?” Wonho, Hongjoong caught from Jongho, was the one who had talked when they came out. He walked over to the bartender and handed him a few coins from his pocket.

“The map is unreadable. Not even your boss knew the language.” Hongjoong’s eyes flickered from Wonho over to Shownu, who stood like a statue with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

Hongjoong suddenly felt Jongho’s hand gripping onto his shoulder, Jongho’s body turning towards Shownu who was still watching them carefully. “Let me see it. Maybe I can read it.”

Shownu raised an eyebrow at the boy, though his body remained still. “A child? Knowing a relatively unknown ancient language?”

Jongho’s eyes turned to Hongjoong’s, looking as though he was seeking comfort or recognition of some kind. Hongjoong nodded for him to go on. “I know a lot of ancient languages. My father and I were archeologists back home. If you let me see it, even if I can’t read it at first, I can figure it out quickly. It’s what I used to do.”

“And what, may I ask, is in it for you?” Wonho strode right back up to Shownu’s side, the map folded up within his hand. “Money?”

“We were looking for work, actually. We’re only going to be here a short time, but we need money to get somewhere to stay and food to eat. We thought we could help load stuff onto your ship.”

Shownu nudged Wonho, and the two exchanged an unreadable look. Hongjoong was impressed with Jongho. Kid really was going to make a great leader one day. Given he and Yeosang got married like he and Seonghwa had bet that they would, of course. Wonho handed to map off to Jongho who lit up like the stars in the sky.

“I know this language! I saw it in one of the ruins in Anthina. In an old manuscript. Let’s see…” Jongho laid the map out on the table, and before Hongjoong could get beside him, Shownu and Wonho were eagerly moving against his side. “It’s… leading to an island. One close to here, it seems. Uh… it’s instructions on how to get to a temple and where to place a… box? A treasure box?”

Wonho snapped his fingers and threw his fist into the air. “I knew it would be close! I knew we were close!”

“Quite down, Wonho. You two.” Hongjoong and Jongho stood up a little straighter. “Meet us on our ship tonight after sundown. If you want to help us, we have a job for you.”

“There are two more of us.” Hongjoong interjected quickly. “Two of our friends.”

“So be it. All of you, our ship. We’ll discuss the job then.” Shownu nodded at them, grabbed the map, and beckoned Wonho to follow him as they exited the tavern. Both Hongjoong and Jongho let out a breath neither knew they were both holding in.

“I owe you big time, Jongho. Can’t believe you knew how to read that.” The youngest just laughed at him and ran a hand through his hair. They had a job. They were actually going to get on the ship that had Yeosang’s butterfly on it. “Let’s get to Yeosang and Seonghwa. Let them know what’s going on.”

Jongho gave him a nod and a wide smile, and they turned to leave. But not before Hongjoong paused and made a slow turn back to the bartender, who was still staring at them with wide eyes, still in disbelief about what he just saw.

“Told you we weren’t looking to trade.”

\---

Jongho had let them know everything that had happened. Hongjoong raved about Jongho’s ability to read such an ancient language, but Yeosang… couldn’t remember it. He remembered there had been two leading archeologists in Anthina, but their names and faces were lost to him. He still had recovered no memories of Jongho. Would he ever?

Yeosang had been told it was possible that he would recover memories of Jongho. That maybe one of the butterflies in one of the worlds would contain all of them. Yeosang loved the memories he was making with Jongho, don’t get him wrong, but… he knew he had meant something very special to the younger before this all happened. No one had told him yet what that was, though.

They had all gathered on a beach, waiting for night to come so they could meet the captain and crew of the Alligator when someone began yelling Yeosang’s name. A voice none of them had ever heard before.

They all turned to see a boy coming at them, dressed in a tan uniform, a beret on his head, holding a long… tube of some kind in his hand. He was young, younger than even Jongho, but he had the brightest, widest smile as he waved at them. Yeosang didn’t feel like he should know who he was, given they were all confused.

“Hello! Sorry about the delay, but it took some time to get!” The boy reached into the tube and pulled out—oh! Yeosang knew who he was!

“Jeongin! You’re the deliverer that Wooyoung spoke about!” The boy nodded and handed over a beautiful, pristine sword to Yeosang’s hands. It was heavy, as heavy as even Hongjoong’s, and was as smooth and sleek as he could have hoped. “I had almost forgotten talking to Wooyoung about this.”

“Yeosang, do you… know him? Really?” Seonghwa looked a little concerned, but Yeosang just grinned and nodded his head.

“In Giverny, I spoke to Wooyoung one night, remember? I asked him about the journey and wishing and asked for Jongho a new sword. I traded the few gems I had been given in the gem world as payment.” Yeosang turned his head towards a shocked Jongho, who he handed the sword off to.

Jeongin was still smiling as he placed the tube pack onto his back once more. “Sorry about the time it took. Swords take a while to be made, especially to your specifics.”

Jongho just held the sword in his hands lightly, as though he was going to tarnish it by touching it further. “Yeosang… hyung, you don’t have to do this. You didn’t have to get me a sword, I had the one from Seungmin still.”

Yeosang shrugged, a little bashful, and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I know. But you really wanted to fight, so I wanted you to have a better sword. You’ve already given up a lot for me, it was the least I could do, you know? Wooyoung doesn’t always have what someone needs, so he said he has Jeongin pick it up for him sometimes during his deliveries.”

It had been quite a while since he’d asked for the sword. But Wooyoung had told him that the sword would need to be made and picked up, so it would probably take a few weeks. Of course, he had been right.

“Here, Hongjoong and I will send Jeongin off. Hehet, let’s go.” Seonghwa yanked at Hongjoong’s arm and walked the three of them away, Hehetmon clinging to the back of Seonghwa’s cloak. Yeosang knew it was so they could have a little private time on the beach before they needed to head out. He was a little embarrassed, but thankful. He wanted a couple of moments alone with Jongho for once. He had a feeling Seonghwa and Hongjoong would want that for themselves as well.

“Yeosang, really, you gave up the gems Felix gave you for this sword?” Watching Jongho admire it, run his fingers over it, never even looking away from it—it made Yeosang feel like he’d really, finally done something good for Jongho. And that was a feeling he loved more than anything. He wanted to do it again, do something like this again just to make Jongho feel _happy_.

That was…. Love, wasn’t it?

“I did. The sword was more important to me than some pretty gems.” The unspoken ‘ _you’re more important to_ me’ was left in his heart. “You’ve done so much for me, Jongho. I’ve mentioned it before, but… it really is a lot for me to think about. You gave up a lot for me, Jongho. You could have let me just stay the way I was—”

“No.” Jongho interrupted him immediately, his eyes finally coming up to meet Yeosang’s. Jongho was serious, mature, but Yeosang had never seen Jongho look so _stern_ before. “No, hyung. I couldn’t have. I would have never forgiven myself. You…”

Jongho stopped talking altogether. His voice had drifted off, as though he was thinking, but he shut his mouth and clenched his jaw and stayed quiet. Yeosang’s shoulders slumped, and he normally would let it go, it’s who he was, but just not _now_.

“Tell me, Jongho. _Please_. You only call me ‘hyung’ when you’re, like, reminiscing about things that I don’t know anymore. I know I meant something to you. I’ve known that since the night I woke up in Tokyo. But you won’t—you don’t tell me anything. We’ve been on this journey for weeks, Jongho, when have we talked about it? About what happened before I left?”

No, Yeosang was not something who got upset at things. Not outwardly. Expressing his emotions, what he was feeling, it was hard, and it had _always_ been hard. Even his memories he had told him that he was always like this. He never raised his voice, was never blunt in a demanding way. But watching Jongho keep everything in and hurt himself more? Yeosang had finally had enough of it.

Jongho was surprised, his eyes wide and almost frightened when he looked up at Yeosang, whose eyes only spoke of his eagerness to just _know_.

“If I meant something to you, I know you meant something to me. Maybe I’ll never remember. But I can at least know it.”

Jongho looked away again, over to the water, and nodded his head for Yeosang to follow him. Yeosang quickly looked back behind him to see Seonghwa and Hongjoong talking before he hurried to catch up to Jongho. He was sitting in the sand closer to the water, the sword sitting in his lap.

“If you really want to know everything, I’ll tell you what happened. Hongjoong-hyung was right earlier. We’ve been keeping you from a lot of things. I don’t mean to make you feel like some porcelain doll on a shelf. I know you’re not fragile. I know you’re strong and you want to help us. I’m sorry about everything.”

“Can I ask you why?” Yeosang dug his boots into the sand, his arms holding his knees to his chest. Neither of them was looking at one another. Instead, to make it easier, they looked out to the blue ocean and the sunset illuminating it. “Why you’ve sidelined me? I’m not mad. I want you to know I’m not mad. I guess… it’s just all gotten to a point where I feel really useless. I want to help because I know I can.”

“I know, I know.” Yeosang wished Jongho didn’t sound sad. But they really, really had to talk about it. “It’s because of what happened. The night you lost your memories… I heard you scream as though your entire body was being ripped apart. It was so guttural, so _terrifying_ , and I couldn’t help you. I tried to touch you—but because of the magic, my hand just phased through you.”

Yeosang couldn’t remember any of it. He couldn’t remember anything about losing his memories. He remembered… asking Yongsun to go the ruins for reasons he didn’t know, but assumed it had something to do with Jongho.

“It was almost your birthday. We had a space in the temple that was our spot. I wanted to go there with you and talk.”

“Ah… I remember asking Yongsun to go, yes.” Yeosang smiled a little. He didn’t think too hard on it, knowing the times he’d tried to force himself to remember, he’d blacked out for a while.

Jongho nodded his head beside him, but still didn’t look. “We were relaxing by the water. You had started feeling weird and I hadn’t noticed. I was a little preoccupied.” Jongho let out a few nervous laughs, and Yeosang turned to watch him running his fingers nervously through his hair. “Do I really have to tell you—no, no, I do.”

“Not if you’re uncomfortable, Jongho.”

“No.” The younger cleared his throat, gripping ahold of himself once more. “You deserve to know. You’ve already picked up on it anyways. I, ah, I was confessing my feelings. To you, Prince Yeosang. I had just gotten my feelings out when the magic started getting stronger. You frantically told me you loved me too… and then it happened.”

There was a silence that filled the space between them. They were only perhaps a foot apart, but it began to feel as though that foot was an entire ocean. There was a history between them, something beautiful, deep, and… Yeosang had no memories of something that had meant so much to Jongho. He had felt those feelings of love from the other man the entire time he’d known him.

“I wish I remembered.” Yeosang’s low voice was so quiet, almost unheard as it mingled with the crashing of the waves. “I wish I remembered us, Jongho.”

Jongho’s eyes looked… like they were glistening. As shimmery as the ocean itself. All Yeosang did was hurt him. And in return, Yeosang only hurt himself further.

“I know, hyung. I know. I do too.” This time, when Jongho paused, he did continue speaking after a moment. “Wooyoung told me to cherish my memories. But making new ones with you were just as important. I told him I didn’t care if you never remembered. I’d stay by your side.” God bless Wooyoung.

It made sense why Jongho would be so protective over him. It was because he loved him still. Because he’d seen Yeosang through the worst pain and trauma he’d ever been through, and now he wanted nothing more than to fix it and keep him safe so nothing could hurt him again. Yeosang couldn’t fault Jongho for his actions. In fact, he never had. He always had a feeling that Jongho had been doing good by him.

“I don’t want you to think you ever have to feel the same for me again. I never told you about what happened just because… I was worried you’d think you had to.” Jongho’s voice brought Yeosang back out of his head.

“You’ve never made me feel pressured for any reason.” Yeosang did his best to give Jongho a more reassuring smile. “You apologized to me in the café in Giverny Town, remember? You wanted to be closer and had been ignoring me because you were afraid of the same thing. Of making me feel pressured to be close again. And there was no reason to worry, was there?”

Jongho, finally, gave a little smile back. “No, there wasn’t.”

“You mean a lot to me, Jongho. More than anyone else. I don’t have any memories of you, but my heart knows. And it remembers. And maybe… rushing to where we left off is risky. But if you’ll let me, I’d like to try it again.”

There was almost something fearful in Jongho’s eyes. But in that fear was excitement, however hesitant he was. “Do you… mean you have feelings for me? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m _sure_.” Yeosang let out a happy, little laugh. It seemed to lighten Jongho’s eyes. “But I’d like to take it slow, if that’s okay. Maybe try to be a little more than close friends, let everything build gradually. Take our time. If that’s alright.”

“Of course—of course, of course it’s alright. And if you decide you don’t want to pursue anything, we can stop. If you feel uncomfortable or anything, we stop. I promise. I’m not going to do anything that might hurt you.”

“I know you won’t.” Yeosang reached a hand out between them, leaving it open for Jongho to place his own in. “I trust you, more than anything.”

In Hwandon, Yeosang had been worried that his want to get closer romantically to Jongho was only to ease the other’s pain. He had wondered if the real love Jongho had felt for him was something he would ever feel back. It hadn’t surprised him to know he’d loved Jongho back. Because he knew his heart wouldn’t lie to him about how much it yearned for him to always be close to Jongho.

On the hill in Hwandon, Yeosang had felt less than human. He had felt empty, worry filling every crack that it could, and Jongho had been the presence that grounded him. It was there, with the wind rustling their hair, Yeosang had acknowledged the string of fate tied to both of them. He had finally acknowledged to himself that he had feelings for Jongho, and that he knew nothing could ever keep them apart.

In the sunset of Hwandon, Yeosang found his comfort in Jongho and his feelings for him.

In the sunset of Seven Seas Port, Yeosang finally found that Jongho made him feel whole again.

Perhaps he had no memory of the first time he fell in love with Jongho. He could do all he could, but those memories had not returned. There was no first moment he had where he remembered loving Jongho.

With the warmth of the sun on his skin, with Jongho’s soft eyes gazing into his own, their fingers tangled in the gritty sand of the warm beach, the salty breeze from the ocean in his hair, Yeosang would not forget the second time he fell in love with Jongho.

\---

Turned out, Captain Shownu’s crew was comprised of the same men that Jongho and Yeosang had first encountered in Hwandon. Same men that had attacked them, along with Minhyuk and Kihyun from modern-day Hwandon.

After his and Yeosang’s moment on the beach, Seonghwa, ever their mother, had cheekily interrupted them to let them know Shownu had returned to his ship. Both of them, blushing as red as the burning sun, just laughed together and hurried over to their leader and eldest companion. Hehetmon had just squealed and returned to Yeosang, who was very clearly his favorite person.

Shownu and Wonho led them onto the ship where the crew was already sitting on the deck and waiting. There was one man that Jongho didn’t remember, a younger man with black hair, but Seonghwa had told them his name was Changkyun and he had been in the same camp as them when they were in Hwandon’s past.

Now they were sitting in the captain’s study, a dimly lit room with a large table, padded chairs, and walls of art and… dare he say chests of treasure on the floors. It was everything that one would expect from a pirate’s study.

Jongho had been sat right next to the captain with Wonho on his other side, the rest of the crew peering over their shoulders to catch a glimpse of Jongho in action. Meanwhile, Yeosang, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong were all situated across from him.

“Okay, for me to really translate what this says, I’m gonna need some context. Because it’s clear from the writing that it’s in a long line of maps and I need that context to go on.” Jongho looked right at Shownu, who rested his elbow on the table, his hand stroking over his chin.

“… I don’t think we have much of a choice.” A higher voice, Jongho remembered as Minhyuk, spoke. “Wonho said we were close, right? This is the final stretch. It’s been _years_.”

“I know, I know how long it’s been.” Shownu let out a sigh but nodded. “Alright. There was a legend of a ‘Mermaid’s Wish’ we’d all heard about when we first got into this business. Trading, bartering, whatever—many spoke of it. A couple years ago we were out at sea and managed to take the treasure of one of the larger ships at the time before sinking it. Goal was to take their place since we overpowered them. Amongst the treasure, it was Hyungwon who found the first map.”

Jongho turned to the other, a man of white blond hair and pouty lips, who nodded. “It was folded up neatly and sandwiched into a secret compartment of one of the chests. I specialize in these sorts of things, so I found it easily. The first map was in a language we knew. It was easy to find its treasure. But there was no treasure in that castle. Only another map.”

He turned back to look at Shownu, who was nodding. “We were mad at first. Thought we were on a rabbit trail for nothing. The second map, Changkyun knew the language. It was in a language he learned as a child.”

The other didn’t speak, only nodded. Shownu was the one who elaborated for him. “There we learned it was a map to the Mermaid’s Kiss. The real, actual map. The maps were a series of tests. We worked through them when we could, because we still had to work to get money to keep going. Between trap filled ravines, armies of undead in caves, or just simple boxes hidden in plain sight no one had seen before… we’ve been going for a number of years now.”

“I have to ask…” Hongjoong sat back, arms folded over his chest. “What’s so important about this ‘Mermaid’s Kiss’ that you’ve worked for fucking years to get to it?”

“Everyone spoke of it, but no one thought it was real because no one ever said they had a map to it. We got lucky with the first one. We’ve worked hard to get the others translated and worked our asses off to make sure we kept it a secret for as long as we could.” Jooheon, who was leaning against the wall, finally spoke. “Because that Mermaid’s Kiss is a _wish_. A wish with no rules and no limits. People started figuring out what we were doing when we kept getting map parts translated. This one we were hoping was the last.”

So, a rule free wish? Jongho could understand why something like that would take years and traveling all around their world to find. And why people couldn’t know that’s what they were doing, sure. Anyone would kill for something like that. In the wrong hands… such a thing could be detrimental.

“So…” Yeosang sat up a little straighter, Hehetmon sleeping happily in his arms. “What are you guys wishing for?”

All of them motioned at Wonho. Every last one of them. “… we’re all outcasts, you see. All of us we’re alone and on our own before finding one another and deciding to travel together. We’re not out here pillaging ships and towns because we love every second of it. It sucks, honestly. But we’re good at it. We don’t care for hurting people. But doing this, we could make money, stay together, and make sure no one took us from each other. And it’s hard. We’re tired. We just want an island to ourselves, where no one can find us, and we can just—have everything we need and be happy till the day we die.”

They all nodded in unison. Here Jongho had thought they were some fearsome pirate crew when really, they were just a bunch of misfits who wanted a place where they could belong. Be happy together. Oh, he understood that well.

“From the way people talked at the tavern, sounds like you guys are beasts of the sea and the trading scene here. Are you sure you want to give that up?”

Kihyun stepped up this time and placed his hand on Wonho’s shoulder. “We’ve made that image for ourselves over the years, sure. No one wants to mess with someone they think can beat them, right? It’s… a necessary evil. But yeah, we’re sure. It’s what we want most in this world. What we’ve wanted since we all met.”

Jongho watched Seonghwa wrap an arm around Yeosang’s shoulders, his smile soft. He caught the way he looked over at Hongjoong. “We’d be happy to help you achieve that. Jongho, where is the map taking them?”

“Right.” Jongho quickly read back over some of the parts he had been confused about, given he knew the situation now. “It’s close, like I said earlier. The hardest part is going to be finding this stone. In the middle of the ocean. It’s supposed to have a telescope sitting on it, and when one looks through it… they’ll be able to see the direction of the island. Otherwise, the island is invisible. The stone will be found by following the direction of the rising sun. It’s… talking about a different telescope. Did you guys find another one?”

“Yeah.” Changkyun walked up and pulled a smaller telescope from his pocket. “We found it a couple of months ago. But we weren’t sure what to use it for, the other two maps after it never said anything.”

Jongho only nodded and went back to reading. “You’ll need that to be able to see the larger telescope on the rock. After you see the island, we just sail in its direction. It says there will be a maze to go through before we find the mermaid.” Jongho pointed to the port they were on, then to the rock with the telescope, and finally the island. It was a straight shot, mostly, it would just take keen eyes to finish the job. “I wonder why… this port is on the map. Why such a treasure would be a day’s journey from something frequented a lot.”

“The port has been the main trading post for centuries around here.” Shownu shrugged, as though it was something everyone should know. “Hiding something like that in plain sight, but hiding it with magic? It’s brilliant. We’ve probably sailed by the island thousands of times and never knew it. The hardest part of it all has been trying to get the other maps.”

Seonghwa hummed under his breath. “They placed it so close to such a common place, but the adventure in finding it weeds out those who would give up and believe it to be a hoax. I would say the person who hid the mermaid is giving you a break, given what you’ve been through, but something tells me there might be something worse waiting on that island.”

Everyone in the room nodded. There was no way it would be that easy. There had to be a catch somewhere. Or, perhaps there wasn’t, given literally no one could find the island or anything if not for the telescopes. There was no indication on whether or not they would see the island once they arrived on it. Maybe there would be another map with the instructions for it located with the second telescope.

“Come. We will give you guys dinner and show you where you can sleep. We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning as soon as the sun breaks the sky.” Shownu and Wonho stood up to join their crew again, who all promptly left to go get food as well. Jongho walked right over to Yeosang and the others, who were chatting with Shownu about… really whatever they could think of.

Dinner was nice, but simple. Rice, some stew, and some bread. Jooheon let them know when they visit different places they eat like kings, but on the boat, they ate rather simply. It was food, it was hot, and that was about all that Jongho cared about right now. They all decided to sit under the stars on the deck and eat together, absently chattering with one another to get a little closer. They hopefully wouldn’t be together long, but Jongho had to wonder just where the butterfly was.

Hehet had felt it, right? Hehet had felt it and let them know where it was, which was on the ship. Maybe they had found more than just a telescope in their travels. Maybe the signs on the island would tell of where they were hiding it.

“Oh, Yeosang, I had an idea.” Jongho moved a little closer from where he was sitting and pulled his old sword from where it was strapped to his side, handing it right on over to the elder. “It feels weird giving you my old one, but you wanted to learn, right? Since you gave me a new one, you can use this one for now. We can do a little tonight, if you want?”

Yeosang wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand quickly before taking the sword. “Thank you. Yeah, it would be nice to practice a little before we get to that island, right? Might have monsters. Islands have monsters, right?”

Both of them just grinned at each other. With their feelings finally out in the open, there was just something so vibrant, light, and _fresh_ about the atmosphere between them. Nothing left to hide. They could only move forward.

“Sure, islands could have monsters. Better to be prepared.” Jongho helped Yeosang up so they could return their dishes to the kitchen with everyone else. “So, we start tonight. I’ll show you the basics, okay?”

As they walked back out to the deck, Jongho watched as Yeosang proudly strapped the sheath to his side, then pulled the sword from it.

“Let’s do it.”

\---

After dinner, the kids had let them know that they were going to practice sword fighting on the main deck, Hehetmon was going to go to bed in one of the bunks Shownu had shown them, and Seonghwa knew he and Hongjoong finally had a moment alone.

In passing, he had told him to meet on the quarter deck, back close to where the rudder in the back was, so they wouldn’t be seen. Hongjoong, ever the leader, was running late since he felt a need to discuss the entire ride with Shownu. Eventually, though, he did finally make it up to him. The kids were too preoccupied with their fun to notice either of them going up there.

“Nice of you to finally join me.” Seonghwa waved his fingers at Hongjoong from where he was sitting, watching as Hongjoong just rolled his eyes, smiling, and came over to sit next to him. “Is everything set for tomorrow?”

“Yeah, leaving really early. Hyungwon is going to keep watch for the other telescope tomorrow, Shownu and Wonho will be steering. He asked for Jongho to stay with them while we keep on deck with the others. I might help Yeosang learn some more moves and whatever else while we’re waiting. You see him and Jongho down there?”

“Yes.” Seonghwa let out a light, airy laugh. They were adorable. They had been giggling more than practicing, joking around as though they had not a care in the world. “I’m glad to see they finally talked about their feelings. If I had to listen to Yeosang talk about him and how cool and strong he was one more time, _I_ was going to confess his feelings to Jongho myself.”

Hongjoong covered his mouth so not to laugh too loudly and alert the other two below them. “Jongho was doing the same thing. He was so scared that he was going to hurt him again, even when I’d tell him to just _talk_ to him, he’d clam up. How much do want to bet that Yeosang was the one who initiated it?”

“Yeosang is a pure and kind soul, but he’s blunt when he wants to be. Doesn’t see a need to keep secrets and keep things back. I would bet a lot that he was the one who finally got it out of Jongho.”

“Yeah.” Hongjoong sighed, something light but fond in his voice. Seonghwa watched as the younger tilted his head back against the wooden ship, his eyes gazing up into the endless sky. Hongjoong always looked like he held the stars in his eyes, and under the sky itself, Seonghwa felt like he could get completely lost in them. Make constellations out of the sparkles in them. “I’m happy for them. They deserve some happiness.”

_You do too_. The words echoed in Seonghwa’s head, the pain of them striking down in his heart. Seonghwa remembered how Hongjoong spoke of his prince back in Giverny Town. The night they got drunk on wine. He remembered how… envious Hongjoong seemed of Yunho and Mingi’s relationship. Not because he was in love with either of them, but because he wanted a closeness like that as well. Seonghwa had allowed it to slip that once upon a time, he had dreamt of similar things.

Hongjoong, he knew, would find no happiness in him. There was nothing long-term or everlasting with them. Seonghwa’s heart wanted to fight such thoughts, but he fought back harder with what he believed were facts. Facts that reminded him that he was a curse, always been cursed, always would be cursed. Everyone who met him eventually left, and he would be alone. Because he was destined to be alone forever. His wish was to never return home at any cost, right?

Hongjoong wanted a home. He wanted something he could love and protect. He wanted to return to the people closest to him and _stay_ there. Hongjoong wanted someone who was permanent. Not someone who knew if they didn’t exist, everyone would be happier. He wanted a life with someone. Someone he could love. Seonghwa was unsure if he had the ability to love anyone ever again.

Seonghwa had never attempted to kill himself, no. But he had always placed himself in the most dangerous situations because he knew he didn’t care if he died. People would rejoice if his cursed magic was no longer in the world, right? No one had ever told him such things, but he had felt it in their eyes. Seen it there. Let it crawl under his skin like a tattoo, as a reminder that he was nothing.

Suddenly, there was a hand gripping his own, fingers twining with his own in his lap.

He turned to see Hongjoong still gazing at the stars, his eyes never meeting Seonghwa’s. “You’re trapped in your head again, Hwa. Don’t stay there very long.”

Hwa. The affectionate nickname had been said quite a bit in their time in Hwandon. Hongjoong had slowly picked up on the fact that he hated to be looked at when he was feeling… off. He would give a physical sign that he was there for him but would allow Seonghwa the privacy of not looking.

“… Do you think of your prince often, Hongjoong?”

“Is that what has you lost in your head?”

“No.” Seonghwa moved a little closer, keeping Hongjoong’s hand in his own. He even allowed his head to move to rest against Hongjoong’s. “But hearing you speak relaxes me. And you always talk a lot when you talk about your home.”

The younger didn’t speak for a second, but his grip on Seonghwa’s hand remained tight. “I do. I miss him and Mingi every single day that we’re gone. They’re my family. And I wish they could meet the person I am now. The one you and this journey have made me.”

Seonghwa tried not to linger on such things. “Tell me a story about them. Tell me about your home.”

“… Hangguk is a really beautiful place. Lots of greenery. Yunho and his family had made sure the country is kept clean and guarded. There’s a lot of ancient structures around still, they’re incredibly beautiful, and the royal family keeps them cleaned and preserved as best as they can. I spent most of my time on the imperial palace’s grounds, I didn’t go into the town a lot. But there’s this beautiful pond outside of Yunho’s bedroom we used to sit around and drink during the summers. Mingi is one hell of a lightweight. Yunho isn’t much better.”

Seonghwa smiled a little. He had no idea what they liked like, but he could imagine Hongjoong sitting around, drinking, and laughing with the people he held closest. _That_ was the life Hongjoong deserved to have. Someone who could fit in with that. Someone Yunho and Mingi would love too.

“Can I ask you something?” Seonghwa just hummed in response. “Do you… miss your tattoo that you gave up? And your staff? You don’t have to tell me about them yet. But you never mention… anything about yourself.”

Seonghwa’s body went rigid. His heart began racing. As though he had been lying about something and was just caught red-handed. But what was he lying about? He had told them nothing about himself. All they knew was his name, and Hongjoong knew a version of Hyungsik had upset him. He tried to calm himself down. He wasn’t going to discuss such things. Ever. Never with Hongjoong.

“… I miss the tattoo sometimes. When something is a part of you for the vast portion of your existence, it becomes part of you. Whether it’s a good or bad thing, it’s who you are. The staff is a memory, as anything else is. I don’t need it.” And that was all he said. Seonghwa heard the sigh that left Hongjoong. It made him feel worse.

“Your ability to just… keep things locked up fascinates me.” Seonghwa could feel Hongjoong too had stiffened, and he knew he could just tell him—but no one could get close to him. Something bad would happen. “I won’t pry this time. Said I wouldn’t. But I hope one day that you’ll open up to me.”

Seonghwa said nothing. And for a little while, neither of them said anything. Seonghwa only held Hongjoong’s hand in his lap, one twined with his fingers, his other resting atop of them both. Just so he could stroke his thumb over the top of Hongjoong’s hand. Hongjoong both terrified and comforted him. The only person he’d ever met that he had almost allowed closest to him.

“… we should go to bed soon. We have a big day tomorrow.” Hongjoong took his hand away from Seonghwa and went to stand, but Seonghwa’s hand had shot out to grab onto his wrist before he could move. In his surprise, he turned to look Seonghwa in the eye, something even he was shocked he had done.

“I… sorry. Forgive me, I’m not sure why I did that.” He let Hongjoong’s wrist go and cleared his throat, his hands absently wiping down his pants. “You’re right. We should go to bed.”

Yet neither of them moved. Neither one of them finished standing up. Seonghwa was just sitting up straighter, and Hongjoong had just moved onto one knee. This time, Seonghwa felt eyes staring into his skin. He could feel the heated gaze of Hongjoong probably thinking he was crazy and out of his mind. Like white-hot shame searing into his skin.

Hongjoong said nothing, but Seonghwa barely saw the hand that moved to grip onto his chin, turning his head so Seonghwa was forced to look in his eyes again. The stars and constellations were gone from them, leaving behind something stern and demanding. Something Seonghwa was unsure why it lit such a fire in the pit of his stomach.

Hongjoong moved in to kiss him again, after so long of having no privacy to. Unlike the sweet kisses that comforted him in Hwandon, Hongjoong was much more _forceful_ this time. No slow and sweet pecks, nothing slow at all. This time, Hongjoong’s hand moved to squeeze the bottom of Seonghwa’s face as his tongue slid over his lip, forcing his lips apart. Hongjoong had learned well if Seonghwa didn’t like something, he’d easily push him back. But Seonghwa… liked being treated roughly.

Hongjoong had moved to hover over Seonghwa, on his knees, one arm pressed to the back of the ship to steady himself. The kiss was, by all means, hardly romantic. It was hard, their teeth nearly clanging together, a kiss that was nothing but tongue and spit dribbling from the corner of Seonghwa’s mouth. His fingers had moved to grip onto Hongjoong’s arms but had stayed for only a moment before they had moved to grip onto Hongjoong’s hair. He was never allowed to cut the mullet. What else would he hold onto?

Seonghwa whined into the younger’s lips, the sound drowned out and lost against Hongjoong’s tongue, and he could feel the way Hongjoong moaned into his mouth. For the first time since they first kissed, Seonghwa wished more than anything that they had a room to themselves. Somewhere where he could be as loud as he wanted. Where _clothing_ didn’t need to get in the wat.

Sometimes, well, most of the time, really, physical touch was something Seonghwa responded best to. Words could be misheard, misconstrued, but with Hongjoong acting like this—he knew what he wanted. What he was feeling.

Hongjoong pulled back, saliva stringing from their lips, and Seonghwa let out a little whimper at how beautiful he looked. The younger’s cheeks were splotched red, warm from their proximity, his eyes dark as the nighttime ocean, his lips the most beautiful kiss-stained red he’d ever seen. He wondered, for a brief moment, if he looked the same to Hongjoong. If Hongjoong believed he also looked that beautiful.

Hongjoong continued to hold Seonghwa’s face in his hand, though his grip his loosened. Seonghwa made no motion to move.

“… Next time we have time to ourselves, I’m going to show you, Seonghwa. Just exactly how I feel about you. And I swear on my fucking life, you’re never going to question how much I care about you again. Mark my words.”

Seonghwa, in fact, wondered if he could wait for that day.

\---

The morning brought, as Shownu said, them setting sail at the crack of dawn. Hyungwon up in the crow’s nest with Kihyun, Shownu and Wonho at the helm, Jongho by their side, and the rest of them all on the deck keeping watch.

After their… moment… Hongjoong and Seonghwa had snuck off to the beds in the same room as the rest of the guys, and unfortunately parted to avoid suspicion. Hongjoong had been awake most of the night anyways and had heard both Yeosang and Jongho finally go to sleep.

Seonghwa was an enigma to Hongjoong. He was so caring to them all, was always someone they could depend on, and they knew fuck all about him. He was a mage who never did magic and had given up a tattoo that was so important to him that it had fulfilled most of his wish itself, and every time Hongjoong tried to get him to open up—he shut him out completely. Went rigid and changed the subject.

Seonghwa, Hongjoong knew, hated his very existence. Hated everything about himself. He had no idea if he wanted to die, he had yet to act in any way that showed it to him, but he knew in Hwandon just how much Seonghwa hated himself. Watching him curl up, barely eat, and cry on most days had spoken to it. Hyungsik in some world had done him wrong, but what Seonghwa felt was something that stemmed far beyond just Hyungsik. Hyungsik merely triggered the worst of it.

Hongjoong had wondered if Seonghwa was using his feelings to make himself feel better. He had until they kissed. Because he saw the way Seonghwa looked at him, he’d felt those fingers clawing at him enough to know Seonghwa felt the same way. But he was too afraid to admit it. Too afraid to think someone cared for him and wanted to be there for him. Yet he wanted to so badly, and showing such things terrified him.

Hongjoong would stay by his side forever. He knew that.

Hongjoong gave him space that morning. As the sun moved higher in the sky, Hongjoong occupied himself by helping teach Yeosang how to fight and properly use his sword. Jongho was right, he was strong, and teaching him was easy. He would make a fine swordsman. He just needed to learn the moves.

Occasionally, he would look up and see the rest of the crew doing their daily chores and whatever else needed to be done, just so he could look at Seonghwa, who had been standing over the railing, zoned out completely as he looked at the ocean. He wished more than anything that he knew how to help him.

He wished he knew what was going on in Seonghwa’s head at that moment. What was making storm clouds float over his eyes.

“Captain! Northeast, about a mile away! I see something!”

All heads turned to glance up at Hyungwon and Kihyun before turning to Shownu and Wonho at the helm. “Do we need to change our course at all right now?”

“No!” Kihyun yelled back, Hyungwon still gazing out of the telescope. “Not yet! Wait till we get a little closer, we might need to use a plank to get down to it!”

They were close, then. Yeosang sheathed his sword and excitedly jogged up the stairs and towards Jongho and where he was sitting next to the captain. Minhyuk, Changkyun, and Jooheon all finished what they were doing and headed for the front of the ship. Hongjoong, before going with them, glanced back to see Seonghwa hadn’t moved. Well, if he wanted to be part of this, Hongjoong assumed he would come to them.

As they neared the telescope, it became evident that it was a rock only large enough for one person to fit on, and it did in fact have a standing telescope on it—as well as a small box resting underneath it. Hongjoong aided Jooheon and Minhyuk in getting the plank down so Changkyun could walk across it. Just watching him walking on the thin piece of wood, an entire story or more from the water below, made Hongjoong worry. But he was strong—used to this. He made it to the boulder with ease.

Before anything else, Changkyun pocketed the small box into a small sack attached to his belt. Then, as everyone watched, he looked through the telescope. He was quiet as he looked around, but all knew when he found the island. Changkyun paused, telescope pointed out towards the east again, the direction they had been going in anyways. He pulled back and quickly checked the chest in his pocket for a note.

“Jongho, come here.” Changkyun walked back up the plank and met the boy up on the deck, who took the piece of paper from him and started reading. Everyone but Shownu and Wonho had gathered around them, even Seonghwa with his fake smiles stood against the main mast in the center of the ship.

“It says you take the telescope. You’ll need it… on the island. Whoever places the telescope onto the island can see the island’s exterior entirely. There will be a… placement for the telescope, which can be seen through it… once you reach the island’s shores. Makes it seem like there’s only one entrance.”

Changkyun had already gone back to get the standing telescope when he was told they could take it. When he came back, Hongjoong once more helped to get the plank back up onto the ship. Hyungwon and Kihyun had left the crow’s nest, slowly climbing their way down, figuring they would be of better help up with Shownu than anywhere else. Especially if there was just one entrance to the island.

Which, the island did in fact only have one entrance, apparently.

“It looks like… a gate. Like some dome, but with an open gate in the front.” Only Hyungwon could see it, given he was the only one looking through the telescope at the front of the ship. “Covered in vines. But the gate is stone and covered in mermaid motifs.”

“Hyungwon!” Wonho called out to him. “Is the ship clear to move forward?!”

“Yeah! Go slow! I think we’re fine but be careful!”

Everyone prepared a small pack of supplies. Hongjoong could feel the excitement radiating from all of them. This is what they had been waiting for. This was their chance to finally be happy together. Even Changkyun, as quiet as he was, was smiling as he helped get stuff together for Hyungwon and Wonho. Hongjoong hoped one day… his crew could be that happy. That they would make it out of this together too.

Entering the island was the strangest feeling Hongjoong had ever felt. The sails had all been rolled up and roped back up, letting the ship slowly cruise into the space. Hongjoong could feel the air become cooler, could hear wind rustling leaves on trees he could not see, could hear birds flying above him—but everywhere he looked, he only saw ocean.

“Stop here!” The crew hurried to lower the anchors at Hyungwon’s call, who raised his head from the telescope and turned to face his captain across the ship. It was natural, Hongjoong thought, for the captain of the ship to be the one who could see the island. Wonho and Shownu finally walked down to the front of the ship, Shownu taking the telescope.

The captain took a few hesitant looks through the telescope before walking down the plank and onto the island. Hongjoong could faintly hear the crunching of sand before Shownu stepped up onto an unseen stone, where he carefully positioned the telescope. In an instant, from a place unknown, a beam of light met the front of the telescope, right in the lens, and the world began to appear to them.

It was… _beautiful_.

Overgrown, sure, but it added to the majesty of the area. Broken and forgotten stone statues of sea creatures overtaken by lush, green vines, stone pathways with flowers growing from their cracks, and trees taller than Hongjoong had ever seen them, their vines connecting them, filling the sky. The sun barely cracked through them, leaving specks of light on everything around them. When it said whoever placed the telescope would see, it must have meant that everyone who entered would be able to see.

“Alright, everyone.” Shownu nodded up at them and beckoned for them to come down. “Now we just have to keep going forward.”

\---

Jongho loved this island more than he’d loved any world they had visited.

It was so green, so lush, and so… serene. They were looking for something so well hidden, something so special, but he felt nothing menacing as he walked through the island. It was beautiful. There were the sounds of birds and the gentle rustling of wind, something that Jongho and Yeosang hadn’t grown up with. It was so… beautiful to him.

Shownu and Wonho led them through the forest along the nearly forgotten stone pathway, Jongho right behind them, with Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Yeosang all behind him. The rest of the crew stood either at the side or at the back. Like protection.

At first, there was nothing to see. Only the lush greenery and the forgotten stones statues around them. At first, they had been worried perhaps the island was inhabited. That someone, or something, would come for them. But it appeared that wouldn’t be the case. Everything felt… calm. Was it the calm before the storm, or was it truly calm?

After what felt as though they had been walking for hours, the path finally ended at the entrance to a small, stone building. It reminded him a little of the ruins in Anthina. It was somewhat comforting. Shownu and Wonho gave one another a look, and a nod, before going up the steps.

“It feels familiar.” Yeosang’s soft voice filled his ears about the time he felt the boy come and hold onto his shirt. “This building. It feels familiar to me.”

“Remember the temple I told you we had our spot in? This reminds me of that place.” Jongho did his best to not become too excited at the thought of Yeosang remembering him. Because Jongho knew he _never would_. That was his price. But to hear Yeosang say that… how could he not become hopeful? How could he not wish for Yeosang to remember him?

Yeosang hummed in response and removed his hand from Jongho’s shirt as they entered the space. The main room was completely empty. Entirely, completely empty. All of them barely fit into the small space, all looking around in an attempt to find anything that could possibly help them. It was a puzzle. Maybe a final puzzle before they found where the mermaid was.

Alright, there was nothing in the room at all, so they would need to think abstract. They had come from the west and had continued east the entire time. The island was east of the telescope. So, maybe, there was something to the east in the room.

Jongho pulled a compass Wonho had given him earlier in the day from his bag, moving until he found just exactly where east was in the room. It was in the corner, the back, right corner. When Jongho moved there, he felt around the wall, but felt nothing. Damn, he thought he’d been onto something. Maybe—wait.

“Hyungwon, do you still have that first telescope?” The elder looked at him curiously but nodded and pulled it out to hand over to Jongho. Now, everyone was watching him. Jongho stepped back and looked through it—aha! There! In the east corner of the room, seen only by looking through the telescope, Jongho saw the words written on the wall. Jongho muttered the words under his breath before turning to one of the walls, grabbing onto an invisible door handle, and pushed with all his might.

And a door opened.

“Holy shit.” He heard Hongjoong behind him, then heard more of the crew’s astonishments. “Pays to have an archeologist, I guess.”

“Good job.” Yeosang pressed a hand to his back and followed Jongho inside, everyone silently agreeing that maybe they were the best for the job.

The door led them down a winding staircase, all of stone, with some glowing gems in the cracks of the wall lighting their way down. He heard a rustling before Hehetmon’s little head poked out of Yeosang’s bag, yawning rather cutely.

“Hehet, are you finally up?” Once Yeosang and Jongho were at the base of the stairs, the elder pulled the creature from his back, holding it right against his chest. “Do you feel the butterfly still? Or is it gone?”

“Butterfly close! Really close!” Interesting. So, the butterfly had been on the boat, but now it was with them? That meant someone amongst them was carrying it? There was no way they wouldn’t have seen someone carrying it, right? Or was it infused with something else this time?

Unlike the ruins of Anthina, the lower level of the temple led into a single, large cavern. There was no marble, no decorations from a culture gone by. Only a carved-out space with those same gems glittering in the walls. There was a stone mosaic in front of the bluest, brightest pool of water Jongho had ever seen. It was… simple.

As they neared the pool, it was as though a shroud of magic had been pulled, and suddenly there was a wall behind the pool of water, one decorated with images of mermaids, glittering with gems of all colors. Suddenly, there were standing torches lighting the area around them. Suddenly, they began to feel as though they were not alone.

All who had a sword at their side reached for it, all eyes sharp as they watched the area around them. Nothing came, but the water began to ripple. And from it, popped a head.

She was unlike any mermaid Jongho had ever seen before. But she was fascinating to look at. Her skin was blue, just like the water, but there were patches of scales that glittered green in the light. She was completely topless, no seashell bras, but there were necklaces of various jewels around her neck and on her fingers. Between her fingers were webs with the same green scales speckles on them. Her ears were pointed, webbed like her hands, her lips a dark blue, and her eyes were entirely black. She had white hair, which surprised Jongho, but she was… beautiful. Like what one would expect a mermaid to be, but more mesmerizing to look at. She seemed just as surprised to see them as they were her.

“Are you… are you the mermaid?” Wonho slowly walked up and knelt down close to the pool to get a better look at her. She swam back a little, her eyes scanning over the rest of the crew. “Please, don’t be scared of us. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a while.”

“… you solved the riddles? You followed the maps?” Her voice was light, a little raspy, and she spoke with an accent Jongho could only assume came from the language she spoke with others of her kind. “Then you have come for the wish?”

All of them nodded eagerly. Jongho, Yeosang, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong moved aside so those making a wish could get near her. But of course, the crew allowed their captain and the second in command the closest to her.

“If you have come for the wish, you must return to me all of the maps.” She held her webbed hands out, and between the seven of them they all tore through their bags to find them all to give back. “I must make sure no one else finds the island. You are the first and only to come here, of course.”

With the maps in her possession once more, the mermaid pressed a gentle kiss to them, pressing her hands over them, and when she laid them out and wiped her hand over them—the words, the pictures, all raised off the pages. As her hands danced through the air, a white light enveloped all of the words and symbols, and from it emerged—a beautiful, magical, blue butterfly.

“Butterfly! Butterfly!” Hehetmon bounced from Yeosang’s arms up onto his head. So _that_ was how they had managed to have the butterfly around them the entire time. The magic of the butterfly had been in the words of the maps, and that was how they were connected. The butterfly flew over to Yeosang, who took it in, letting it fade into his chest, and for the first time in a while collapsed.

Jongho managed to pick the boy up and hold him into his arms, Seonghwa quietly letting everyone know everything was alright. The mermaid seemed unfazed, almost as though she had been expecting them, and only smiled a little before turning to the others.

“Their wish has been granted. It is the butterfly. Now, you have come a long way, travelers. You may have one wish. What shall you wish for?”

“We want an island. An island to ourselves, where we would never run out of supplies, where we can live and be together and not have anyone try to hurt us anymore.” Wonho spoke quietly, his hand reaching out to take Shownu’s. On his other side was Changkyun, who took his other hand, and one by one the boys all held one another’s hand. “We’ve had hard lives. We’re tired of this life we’ve carved for ourselves. No more pain, no more hurting, no more pirating. A place we can be happy in.”

The mermaid grinned happily, showing off all of her sharp teeth. “You wish for a concealed, magical island, where you will never face hardship again. As you have asked me for this wish, the only one I will give out by my power, this island will be yours. It will remain cloaked to all on the outside, except you. The gate will be closed, and you may live together on this plentiful island. Does this please you?”

“Yes.” Shownu smiled for the first time Jongho could remember. Despite the all black outfit, Shownu no longer looked like a feared pirate captain. As he squeezed Wonho and Jooheon’s hand, he looked like a man. A man who just wanted to be happy. “We think it’s beautiful here. We would gladly stay here. Everything we need and have is on our boat.”

“Wonderful.” The mermaid happily clapped her hands together before her dark eyes returned to Jongho and the others. “I must ask, though, that you leave this place. The nature of their wish means you cannot be here. I’m sorry.”

“We were leaving anyways. We have a lot to do ourselves.” Hongjoong walked over to Shownu and patted him on the shoulder. “Happy for you guys. I’m glad your journey could end as well as it has.”

Jongho felt Seonghwa’s hand on his shoulder as the elder’s free hand moved to brush Yeosang’s hair back. He’d wake up by the time they were in the next world, probably. Jongho wasn’t sure what was wrong with Seonghwa right now, but he didn’t say anything to him. Just let the elder watch over Yeosang, asleep in his arms.

“We hope the same for you, in whatever you’re doing. Thank you for getting us here.” Shownu took his hands back so he could briefly, quickly, hug Hongjoong. Then he turned to face Jongho, giving him a little wave. “You especially. We wouldn’t have made it here if you hadn’t helped translate.”

“Almost like fate. I had what you needed, and you had what we needed.”

Shownu hummed, still smiling. “I suppose so.”

Hongjoong came back over to his own crew, motioning for Hehetmon to do its thing. As they began to circle, he watched as the mermaid lifted her hands again, that white light beginning to enrapture everything around them in it, the magic of the island being completely transformed for the Alligator’s crew.

Hehetmon opened its sharp eyes, the familiar “ _Kyu_!” ringing out, as the flower on its head began to spin. As always, the ground below them gave way for the dark portal, the tendrils of magic coming to twist and envelope them, pulling them in and twisting until they were gone.

In an instant, they were off to their next world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated earlier, it's going to get real from here on out! I've got everything planned, but if there's anything you want to see, let me know! If you have any questions, as always feel free to leave a comment!!
> 
> See you guys soon!! Thank you again for reading!!


	10. World: Grand Library

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember what I've said about paying attention to details. :)
> 
> From here on, it's a fast track into the hidden plot! Next chapter onwards will quickly unfurl all of these little hints and details, and everything will come into the light!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! We're in the home stretch!

~xXx~

In only a second, they were out of the wet cave of the Mermaid’s Kiss, and standing in the alleyway of… a city?

Seonghwa could feel magic swirling around him as soon as they entered. He could feel it permeating the very buildings that surrounded him. What a feeling—he hadn’t felt such a thing since… not since Hiemis. At first, he felt a cold chill run down his spine at the thought. But he kept it in.

Instead, he helped Yeosang to his feet now that he was awake once again. Preoccupying himself with things helped right now. After his moment with Hongjoong. Because he had allowed himself to get too close—Hongjoong talking about his feelings for him, Seonghwa grabbing his wrist so he wouldn’t leave, all of it was… it was too much. He should never have done it. No matter how wonderful it had felt.

Oh, but it had felt so nice to have someone kiss him like that and tell him he had feelings for him, that he cared, seen the fire in Hongjoong’s eyes when he said he wanted to prove to him he cared. Seonghwa remembered his tipsy words in Giverny so very well. Of his old dream wishing for someone to come and whisk him off his feet and take him away. He should have never allowed himself to drink, lower his guard, and say such things. Now Hongjoong believed they possibly had a chance.

No, no he couldn’t allow himself to continue thinking of such things. He couldn’t dwell on this when he knew he had to distance himself from Hongjoong.

“How are you feeling, Sangie?” Seonghwa brushed Yeosang’s hair behind his ear and pressed the back of his hand to Yeosang’s cheek. “You don’t always pass out. Did you remember anything specific?”

The boy shook his head as Jongho let him back onto his own two feet. “No… not specifically. Sometimes it takes a while for the memory to get really clear. I might actually remember it the next time I go to sleep.” Seonghwa watched Yeosang rub at his eyes. Poor thing.

“Well, we should figure out where we are, I guess.” Hongjoong stepped forward, placing a hand to Jongho’s shoulder. “As always. Seems pretty nice here so far. Just in an alley, but it’s… different. Feels different.” 

Seonghwa only nodded and turned to lead them out of the alley, when out of nowhere—something ran into him. Or, rather, someone. He was knocked back and nearly fell, but thanks to Yeosang he managed to keep himself steady. When he looked up to see who he had run into to apologize… he saw her. Sitting on the ground.

Heeyoung?

There was… there was no possible way. Heeyoung had no soul. Heeyoung had been a creation whose soul was one of Yeosang’s butterflies. He had created her himself, she was turned into chain—this girl, maybe, simply looked like her. But it was so… striking, their similarities. Their hair was different, Heeyoung’s being short and above her shoulders, while this girl had hair all the way down her back. No, no it… it couldn’t be.

“Are you going to actually apologize, Seonghwa? What’s going on with you?” Hongjoong moved forward to offer his hand out to help the poor girl off the ground.

“I’m… forgive me, you just…” Seonghwa licked over his lips and decided not to continue that thought. “Forgive me. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Oh, it’s no problem.” She was young, frantically brushing her plaid skirt off. She looked like a student, like ones they saw in Tokyo. She had a bag of books in her arms she frantically moved to pick up where some had fallen. “I’m so sorry, I do need to hurry though—Seungmin was be wondering where I am—”

Seungmin? Seungmin was in this world? It had been quite a while since they had seen him, Felix, Changbin, or Jisung.

“Actually, could you take us to him? We’re not from around here?” Jongho moved forward with a smile, trying to… diffuse the situation, it seemed. Seonghwa was thankful enough for that right now. “My name is Jongho. This is Yeosang, Hongjoong helped you up, and Seonghwa is the one you accidentally collided with.”

The girl quickly checked a watch on her wrist but nodded. “My name is Eunji. I have to get to the library quickly—Seungmin is there. Do you know him?”

“No.” Yeosang smiled, pleasant and princely as always. “But he sounds like he could help us.”

Curiously, Seonghwa watched the girl’s cheeks turn pink when Yeosang smiled at her. “O-oh! Sure! I’m sure he would be able to help you! Please, follow me, but do hurry.”

Eunji. Her name was Eunji, not Heeyoung. How odd for them to share the exact same features. Seeing Heeyoung had sent the deepest sense of dread through him. Seeing her would have meant that Hyungsik was awake, had escaped his spell, and was on his way to find him. He should have known better. Should have known that wasn’t her. His hands were still shaking when Hongjoong yanked him back by the shoulder, keeping them at a distance from the rest.

“Seonghwa, what the hell is going through your head? You’ve been quiet since the other night. You said absolutely _nothing_ on that island. Now you’re knocking girls to the ground and not even apologizing about it.” Hongjoong looked angry. Like the Hongjoong Seonghwa had met in Wooyoung’s tea shop all that time ago. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing.” Seonghwa plastered one of his famous smiles onto his lips. “You shouldn’t be so concerned, we’ve got more things to worry about than if I’m talking.”

He knew it wasn’t enough for Hongjoong. It never was. But the younger let his shoulder go and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Seonghwa. Stay in your head for all I care. Here I thought we were getting somewhere.”

Yes, this was how it should be, right? Seonghwa knew he couldn’t get emotionally close to Hongjoong. He had overstepped his boundaries and had allowed himself to become too close. Yet, even as Hongjoong walked away to get closer to the others, Seonghwa felt… his heart ache. Truly, really ache. This was for the best. He had to tell himself this was all for the best. He was meant to always be alone. Even if it hurt, he had to protect the others.

Seonghwa walked behind them, by himself, and kept his hands clasped behind his back.

\---

Eunji had made herself quite at home on Yeosang’s arm. Once they had made it to the ‘Grand Library’ as she had called it, she was much more at ease. She must have made it on time to feel that way.

From what Yeosang had seen of this world, it reminded him a little of Giverny Town. Similar brick buildings and paved roads, but on a much, much larger scale. As well, Yeosang noticed there were two moons in the sky alongside their sun, that the entire city was covered with these incredibly railways in the sky, and there was a sense of magic and whimsy in every building and every light post.

The main library’s exterior was absolutely incredible as well. Surrounded by an entire moat, with fountains shooting water into the air, there might as well have been sparkles floating in the air as they approached the structure. It was large, dome shaped, made of a light pink brick and… marble? A white material that shimmered in the light, with the windows and details all done in gold.

There were areas of gardens and statues larger than life surrounding its exterior, and Yeosang noticed other young people dressed like Eunji sitting around the benches and on the lawn outside the library. What a utopia.

“He’s in here! He should be at the front desk!” Eunji tugged Yeosang in by the arm and he could swear he heard Jongho sighing from somewhere behind him.

Oh, the interior was just as amazing. Tiled floors so clean he could see his reflection in them, the walls painted the same pink as the brick, large, purple velvet curtains on tall windows, and rows upon rows of books in three separate floors. Above was a skylight designed like a lotus flower, and… Yeosang could see books and other objects floating around the air. Magic. The entire place was magic.

“Seungmin! I brought my books back!” Eunji pulled her bag up and began stacking all of her books up onto the counter. From a door behind the large front desk, Seungmin came out. Dressed in a tan sweater and black pants, with round glasses perched on his nose.

“Just in time. Thank you, Eunji. Wouldn’t want you to be late and get a fine again. Ah—” Seungmin looked up at them all, offering an apologetic smile as he pushed his glasses up. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. Can I help you four?”

“Seungmin, this is Yeosang and his friends. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Jongho.” Eunji put her hands on Yeosang’s shoulder about the time Yeosang felt Jongho’s hand on his lower back. “They’re not from around here and wanted to see if you could help them! I told them you know _everything_ , and you could help!”

The boy just gave a shy wave and shook his head. “Oh, no, I don’t think I know _everything_ , but I’m sure that I can help. My name is Seungmin, I’m the head librarian here. I can do my best to help. It’s pretty clear you guys aren’t from around here… your outfits are a little… torn? Old?”

That was fair. They’d been wearing and washing the same outfit for essentially months now. There were plenty of tears and some stains that wouldn’t come out, things that couldn’t be repaired quickly. They all looked down at themselves, a little ashamed now that they were in such a nice place.

“Welcome to Lascola, by the way! A world dedicated to the teaching of magic in the best way possible. Our world is centered around the library here, where records of magic from many different worlds are kept for students of Lascola to view and learn from.” Seungmin clapped his hands together once, a little shy, and motioned at Eunji. “Eunji is one of the many students here. Lascola is a place where everyone possesses magic, where everything we have is infused with it!”

Yeosang glanced back at Seonghwa, who… looked neutral. Seonghwa hadn’t been right since their first night on the boat. But the eldest still offered him a smile, which Yeosang returned before turning back around. He wondered if a world entirely filled with magic would comfort Seonghwa… or make him worse.

“Eunji, you’re a third year now, perhaps we should put your magic to the test.” Seungmin motioned to the girl, who jumped a little at the suggestion. “Maybe we should have you create new outfits for them. Given that these travelers are fighters,” he gestured to the swords on their sides, save for Seonghwa, “you should keep in mind that they’ll be fighting.”

“Ah… it’s almost a form of alchemy, isn’t it?” Yeosang turned his head to Seonghwa, who was eyeing both Seungmin and Eunji closely. “She’s going to take the clothes we already have and use magic to repurpose them. An idea of equivalent exchange, yes?”

Seungmin, smiling, gave a soft clap. “I would expect nothing less from a Class D ranking mage. Though I’m surprised you haven’t performed something like this yet.”

“Ah, you can sense rankings as well?” Class D? Was Seonghwa really that capable and strong? Yeosang had read in books in his brother’s library about the classes of mages and wizards, he remembered that being the highest rank—but Seonghwa had never mentioned it. “Well, my magic… isn’t based in things like this, I’m afraid.”

“A Class D mage can perform any magic—”

Seonghwa cleared his throat, faking embarrassment to get Seungmin to stop. Yeosang had to wonder, though… why Seonghwa, if he could perform any magic at his rank, would be concealing it. They had known him for months and he’d… yet to show his magical abilities. He always claimed that using his magic wouldn’t be fun, or that his magic wouldn’t ‘work’ for their situation.

Jongho, a long time ago, had said not to mention it. That Seonghwa and Hongjoong always fought when it was brought up. Collectively, as a group, they stopped asking him to do anything. And it seemed as though not mentioning it made everything better.

Hongjoong now, however, didn’t even look at Seonghwa when he spoke. Yeosang knew something happened between them in Hwandon. They had been good afterwards, closer, but something had happened on that ship that was tearing them apart. It was hard to watch, especially when he could see in their eyes how much they cared for one another.

“I know what to do for Yeosang!” Eujin clapped her hands together and pulled him from the others by his hands. “These big clothes do nothing for something as pretty as he is. So, I’ve got an idea! May I, Seungmin?” The boy nodded, and Eujin took a step backwards. As did everyone else.

For the entirety of the trip, Yeosang had beenw earing some off white, sort of cream colors clothing. A flowing shirt and flowing pants with a pair of boots. And of course, they had no time for new clothes, so he’d just… stuck with them. He was a little worried as to what Eujin had planned for him, though. Given how she acted around him.

The girl gave him a look, a wink, and raised her hand. “Hold still!”

Yeosang had worried that people were going to see him naked, but he should have had more faith in Seungmin, at least. Because the clothes just… moved. She ripped and moved and morphed the clothes, all giving a bright glow, and as though conducting a symphony, she crafted a new outfit for him.

Now, he had pants that were higher up on his waist, tied together by a piece of cloth through a few belt loops, and the pants only went halfway down his shin. At least now his pants had more pockets too. They were tighter on him, accentuated his thighs, but he… kinda liked it. For the shirt, she completely took the sleeves, made the shirt a little tighter but still loose enough, and used the leftover fabric to make a small hood on the back. The shirt was low cut in the front, but there were strings that he could do up more if he wanted.

“Now, for the finishing touch—color!” Color? Eunji picked a string of red from her own skirt and ran it between her hands before motioning back to yeosang. While his shirt remained the same cream color as before, she used the magic from the skirt thread to turn the pants, hood, and strings on the shirt all a faded red color. Actually, Yeosang quite liked it. “It brings out the blond of your hair more!”

“Good job, Eunji. Do you have ideas for the rest of them?” Eunji nodded, and next called Seonghwa forward.

She didn’t change too much for Seonghwa. He kept the boots up to his knees and the black pants, she fixed any holes that his pants had, but it was mostly the shirt she changed. Before, the shirt had been long sleeved, white, high neck, with little blue details on the neck and around the wrists, with golden buttons on the front. Now, she took one entire sleeve off, lowered the collar, and made the other sleeve became much more ‘poofy’ and loose, but gathered and synched at the wrist.

She used the magic of the blue thread of the shirt to turn the entire shirt blue, and the golden buttons were made smaller, two next to one another off centered on the shirt going down. With what bit of the gold buttons left, she turned them into thread to create the image of a golden bird on the side of Seonghwa’s pants. Yeosang liked this new look quite a bit.

Hongjoong had been wearing the simplest outfit of them all. Black sleeveless shirt, black pants, black boots, and a deep red cloak. Eunji had a lot of fun with him. Hongjoong’s pants were higher on his waist like Yeosang’s but had far more pockets and tucked into his boots. She used the cloak to make red stripes down each side of his pants and a red belt for around his waist.

For the shirt, she used the cloak to make red fingerless gloves that reached up to his biceps and raised the collar of his shirt by trimming it in rest. Finally, using some leftover blue from Seonghwa, as well as some yellow from her own bag, she placed the image of a dragon going over his shoulder and down to his chest.

Jongho’s outfit didn’t change too much. He too had a relatively sleeveless black shirt but had darker green pants with pockets going down the side with his black boots. Eunji repaired any rips that he had before getting to work. Per Jongho’s request, he asked for nothing too flashy or revealing.

The shirt, however, she tightened more. Using leftover material from Hongjoong’s cloak, she crafted short sleeves and a hood for him before turning them black to match the shirt. For his pants, she kept them the exact same, but did add a belt that she also turned black. When asked if it was too simple, he shook his head. “I prefer something that makes it easier to move. I liked my outfit.”

“I see you’re all taught magic without the use of staffs or rings.” Seonghwa mused, his hand running over his newly bared arm. “Has the practice become too old?”

“Well, we believe that magic users here have access to many worlds’ knowledge and have an easier time controlling and manipulating their magic with their own hands now. If they want to use anything like that, they’re allowed, but no one is forced. Eunji has a ring she sometimes uses.”

The girl pulled it from her bag and swiftly slipped it onto her finger. It was a simple gold band with a lilac-colored gem in the center. “They’re what’s on trend right now!”

And entire world… of only magic users. Everything from the buildings to the threads in their clothing was infused with magic. This place really was a utopia. Centered around a large school of magic.

“So…” Yeosang spoke slowly, fingers playing with the hem of his new shirt. “If people come here to be trained and learn magic, what do you do when you graduate? What’s the purpose?”

Seungmin tapped a finger against his lip as he thought carefully of an answer. “People travel. We have many inter-dimensional ways to travel. Go to other worlds and find jobs doing whatever needs to be done. Some go off to open their own schools in worlds with magic that barely know of it. Centuries ago, if not millennia ago, there was once a world of _magical elders_ who overlooked every single world’s magic users and helped teach them and keep them in line. No one… really knows what it was called, nor what happened.”

“So, you see it as your duty to act like they did? Sending people out to make sure worlds are knowledgeable about their own abilities?” Hongjoong spoke up this time as he fiddled with the gloves on his hands. “Admirable. But it seems like a big task.”

“It is! Believe me. We’re not trying to become a world like that, though. Those elders had magical prowess beyond any individual’s capacity. Beings born of nothing but magic themselves, with abilities to perform ancient spells that even they deemed too dangerous for them to know. They locked them away, though I think it’s possible one of those elders used those forbidden spells and that’s what destroyed them. For all we know, they’re a myth. Anyways, we want to help everyone. So, everyone here works together to create the best atmosphere for creating knowledgeable mages as possible.”

Seonghwa eyed Seungmin carefully. Yeosang noticed something almost… sad in his eyes. “You viewed these individuals almost as… gods. Ancient gods. Even those with magic that can only destroy, you see them as something to look up to?”

“Gods?” Seungmin chuckled. “Maybe that’s the closest thing to them, sure. They were like gods in the stars. I can show you some books about them. Have you not heard of them?”

“A long time ago I read… briefly about them. They were not part of my studies. My mentor thought of them as useless myth, so he did not teach them.”

“Understandable. I can lend you some books on them during your time here if you like. As for defensive magic, we believe _everyone_ has a purpose. Everyone with magical abilities has the opportunity to do good. They just need the proper training.”

Seonghwa only nodded before growing silent. Without thinking, Yeosang reached out to hold onto Seonghwa’s hand. He missed being close to him. He missed the man that had comforted him when he first woke up. He missed Seonghwa having fun and enjoying himself. For now, he would do his best to comfort his favorite hyung. He would be his source of comfort.

Seonghwa squeezed his hand back.

“Eunjin, you have class to attend. I’m going to find Felix and show them around the library. I believe they’ll like it here.” Seungmin tried to shoo the girl away, who only pouted.

“I’ll try and catch up afterwards! Don’t have too much fun without me.” She wiggled her fingers at them after gathering her bag and hurrying back out of the library. “Bye, Yeosang!”

Yeosang gave a shy little wave and once again felt Jongho pressing a hand to his lower back. Was he jealous? Why was he being so touchy?

“Let’s go look at the books, shall we?”

\---

So far, this world was fine. They got new, free clothes out of it. Hongjoong just needed a haircut now. His mullet was getting long in the back, and the sides of his hair were growing out too much. Maybe in the next world he could fix that.

Seungmin had taken them to the third floor of the library where he found Felix working behind a different reference counter. In this world, Seungmin had the same light brown hair as he had in another world, but Felix had lilac colored hair that had an undercut in this one. Somehow, it really suited the magical nature of the world.

“The third floor works as the floor for magic dealing with memories, time, light, and dimensional magic. As well as other sub-genres that are a little more abstract than just alchemic-style magic or defensive magic.” Felix grinned at them, and in this light, his freckles looked like they glittered gold. “Those, as well as magic dealing with nature and practical magic, are on the second floor. First floor is your basics.”

Felix, Seungmin at his side, took them over to one of the white bookshelves to talk something about memory books. However, Hongjoong noticed something—the books, right on their spines, all had butterflies on them. Hongjoong pulled one from the shelf and noticed on the cover, too, was a butterfly.

“Why is there nothing written in this book?” Hongjoong flipped through the mass of blank pages upon blank pages, and in an instant the others came over to look. Jongho had an arm around Yeosang’s waist as his fingers touched the book, and even Seonghwa touched and tilted the book back to look.

All three of them froze. Hongjoong watched, surprised, as all of their eyes went completely… blank. No light in them at all.

“What the fuck? What’s going on?”

Felix seemed calm and happy, not alarmed whatsoever. “They’re just touching one of the memory books. Usually, we write down memories in them, so the memories won’t be forgotten. If they’re in one of these books, you’ll never forget them. If you touch the book, touch the writing, you can see the memory in your own head.”

“There’s nothing written in this book. They’re not touching anything that someone wrote down.”

“Because they’re seeing _your_ memories.”

His memories. Hongjoong hadn’t entirely told any of them anything about the details in his past. He had mentioned part of it to Jongho, more to him than anyone else. He had never spoken of the horrors he saw as a child. They knew that he had once been someone who fought a lot, someone once filled and fueled by anger, but he hadn’t said much of why. Now they were going to know.

He knew when they were almost done seeing everything. He could see eyes begin to gloss over. He could see… tears beginning to form in Seonghwa’s eyes. Of all people, it was Seonghwa.

“… Hyung.” Jongho’s voice broke the silence as he took his hand back completely. “You’re holding all of that pain inside you? Why you were so angry when we met?”

Hongjoong only shrugged and closed the book. “It happened a long time ago. No reason to keep dwelling on it. I aim to find that man and get revenge for my mother. I don’t think of any of the details anymore. I’m sorry you had to see all of the details. I know it isn’t a pretty sight to see.”

“… That’s why you’re always so protective over us, isn’t it?” Yeosang tilted his head at Hongjoong, and he could see just how shiny his eyes had become. “Why you didn’t want to put any of us in the danger zone. Even when we asked. Because you didn’t want… something like that to happen to us. Why you want to get back to your prince. So… you can make sure he’s safe.”

“Yes.” Was the only word that came from Hongjoong’s mouth. Because he cared about them all, he wanted to protect them.

Seonghwa said nothing. That hurt, if Hongjoong was going to be honest. But he did watch as the eldest tried to conceal the way he was wiping at his eyes. At least, in this silence, Seonghwa felt something deep for him.

Hongjoong wished to get off of the subject. Wished to erase the entire accident from their minds. The truth of who he was may have come out eventually, but it would have been under his own terms. Now he could see the sadness and pity welling in their eyes—and he hated it. He hated seeming weak. He was far from it, he was a warrior—a man so strong and cunning he was undefeated in his world.

For a split second, Hongjoong felt a sharp sense of guilt. For behaving in such a way, even if only in his mind.

“I picked the book up because I saw this butterfly on it. Why do all of these memory books have butterflies on them?” Hongjoong handed the book over to Seungmin, who only nudged Felix to speak. Hongjoong was glad they took the bait and moved away from the subject of his own memories.

“The memory books are connected to a mainframe computer system by a magical source we found. A blue butterfly, which is kept downstairs. Makes it easier to find things instead of filtering through the books considering we have memory records of every student and person who has ever been part of this world.”

Yeosang took the book into his hand and pointed to the butterfly. “Can we go see it?”

“No.” Seungmin spoke, rather blunt in fact. “The butterfly, as well as other relics, are guarded by the Gate of Judgement beneath the library. The gate protects the relics from anyone that tries to go in and grab anything. It knows if you’re trying to steal. They’re too precious. None of us can go near the gate. Any who pass the gate and have ill intentions are trapped by the gate’s magic to protect the relics. It is a space where magic cannot be performed.”

So, it was filled with traps. Magical traps. Which meant obtaining the butterfly was going to prove to be a lot more difficult than they imagined. No matter. Hongjoong knew they would find a way if they had to break into the library themselves. No way some magical traps were going to stop them.

“Well, you could at least help us find some work to do while we’re here. Enough to spend the night, maybe two, and get some food before we leave.” Hongjoong figured it was best to not tell them why they were traveling through. Not until he came up with a good lie at least.

“I’m sure I can pull some strings and have you guys stay in one of the rooms at the dorm next to us. Get you in to eat in their cafeteria and everything. Maybe you can come help out here in the library. Help me pick up books and put them back where they go.” Seungmin patted Felix’s back as he started to walk off. “I’m gonna go back downstairs and make a call. Meet you guys down there.”

Well, a dorm and some food didn’t sound bad. At least they looked a lot better than they had before. Felix led them back down the stairs after showing them a few more things to find Seungmin back behind his counter again.

“Good news! You can stay in one of the rooms. It has two bunk beds, so you’ll all four be in there. And you’ll have a bathroom so you can shower and do whatever else you need. Ah, and the cafeteria will be on the main floor of the building. You won’t be able to miss it. Our friend Jisung will be in the dorm’s lobby to give you your key and show you around. And as long as you’re here tomorrow to help me around here, you’re free to stay there for a day or two.”

“Thank you.” Seonghwa spoke kindly, pleasantly. “I appreciate you taking care of us.”

“Anything for a Class D mage.”

Well, Seonghwa didn’t use his magic in a way they needed, but at least it was still useful.

\---

Jongho had missed seeing Jisung. He thought maybe, in another time, they could have been pretty close friends. He was a little shy, little awkward, but he was incredibly kind. A sunshine of a person in every world he’d met them in.

He showed them to the cafeteria and showed them where and how to get food, which was all they could eat, thank God, before showing them to their room. It was plain, but it was maybe the best place they had slept in… since Giverny. Wooden furniture, wooden bunk beds, and a plain bathroom. Yeah, this would do fine.

Dinner had been quiet, a little awkward after everything that happened, but despite the amount of food they got they had eaten quickly. With their stomachs full and their bodies tired, they could lay back and rest in their room.

“Alright. We’re planning the butterfly to be taken tomorrow.” Hongjoong claimed the bottom of one of the bunks and was currently sitting on the edge with a pillow in his lap. “No need to stay longer than necessary. I feel like it’ll get even harder if we were to stay long. We only have two days here anyways.”

Yeosang agreed by nodding his head silently. He was sitting on the bunk opposite to Hongjoong, on the bottom bunk, but before Jongho could claim the bunk above—Seonghwa had made a beeline for it. A little shocked, Jongho glanced towards Yeosang, who gave a small shrug, and he instead went for the bunk above Hongjoong.

“They said the butterfly was guarded by that gate, right? That gate is going to know we’re out here trying to take the butterfly. I don’t know how we’d get past that.” Jongho, laying on his side, gestured to Hehetmon who was happily eating a cookie on Yeosang’s bed that it had stolen from the cafeteria. “Hehetmon is magical, but we can’t use magic once we’re past that gate.”

Hehetmon’s magic had been something they relied on in worlds where they had mostly been alone. Having the ability to call upon Wooyoung, travel amongst worlds, and store that which they wished to remain concealed was mostly what Hehet did for them. As long as it was fed, Hehetmon was happy and quiet.

“Hehet could feel the butterfly!” The little creature sat up and waved its little arms in the air. “Could feel it despite the barrier!”

“Which means… there is possibly another way out.” Seonghwa, sitting against the wall on his bunk, spoke so low that Jongho almost had to strain himself to hear him.

“Explain.” Hongjoong’s voice was flat. Emotionless.

Seonghwa, as Jongho watched him, looked down at the corner of the bed before speaking. As though lost in thought about something completely different until he forced himself back out of it.

“It wouldn’t be physical. The library is too cautious with the relics if they’ve placed a gate before them that prohibits magic within the space. We know they’ve placed traps laced with some kind of magic, memory magic if I had to guess considering the strength of the butterfly, that prohibits those who enter under false pretenses from getting to the target or escaping with the target. That being said, there must be a way to get out. Because those people must be pulled out and prosecuted for their crime. If they truly suck the magic out of the space and render magic users defenseless, you cannot go through the gate a second time.”

Oh, that… that made sense. It was such a strange concept, but it made perfect sense. So, they would have to figure out how to escape the traps without using Hehetmon. They could all fight, at least. Seonghwa still had his bow and quiver, and the rest of them still had swords. Hehetmon was hiding them, currently, and Jongho knew they’d need to get them before entering the gate. Just in case.

“So, you’re saying there’s a way to beat the traps and get out? Like a loophole?” Yeosang didn’t look up towards Seonghwa, only picked Hehetmon up and placed the creature into his lap. “A way for the authorities to get in and out. Like… winning a game? Maybe it’s like a portal, and we get transported back out?”

“It makes the most sense.” Seonghwa agreed, his voice a little louder. “A portal activated… somehow. If it’s memory magic like I think, it’s possible that reliving a memory would activate the portal. But I know it wouldn’t be that easy. Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure what’s waiting down there. It’s dangerous, the traps might put us through hell—but maybe, if we each fight our way out, we can figure out how to activate the way out before someone comes in for us.”

They had to fly completely solo on this. Despite their knowledge of magic, this was a world that contained records of nearly every magical spell in any known universe. There would be things not even Seonghwa knew about. They would have to band together and… work through it.

“Plan for tomorrow.” Hongjoong’s voice cut through the silence, ever demanding. Jongho wondered still what had happened between him and Seonghwa. It was… making him uneasy. “We go in, see what Seungmin needs, and decide from there. We need to make a distraction so we can get in. Because if anyone sees us, they’ll follow immediately behind us. And we won’t stand a chance at getting Yeosang’s butterfly.”

“And we need to make sure we’re holding hands when we go in. I don’t think any of us want another Hwandon incident.” Jongho interrupted Hongjoong before he could get another word out. However, upon speaking the place’s name, he saw something change in Seonghwa’s eyes from across the room. “So, we can, uh, stick together?”

He only watched the oldest nod. Seriously, what had happened in that camp? What happened on the Alligator?

“Fair.” Hongjoong got up from the bed and stretched his arms above his head. “I say we do whatever Seungmin wants for an hour or so, then cause a commotion, or whatever, and sneak to the gate together. From there we’ll need to work as fast as we possibly can. Anyone have an idea for what the distraction might be? I’m not sure what we can do in a magical library.”

Yeosang held his hand up, gathering the attention of the room. “Making not a commotion, just a general distraction? Like you said earlier? Maybe some of the shelves can accidentally get knocked over somehow, Seungmin and Felix both would want to hurry to get everything sorted. We could sneak away then to the gate if we wanted to.”

Jongho hummed under his breath, fingers twiddling with the edges of his shirt. He was nervous, but only because this was the riskiest venture they’d had so far. There was real danger ahead of them. Nothing too mystical or just a puzzle to be solved—there were traps, authorities, the possibilities of getting split up and no magic getting them out. They had to be precise. Prepared.

“That… could work.” Jongho breathed out his words, unsure as his gaze fell down to Yeosang. “So long as none of us are around. Therefore, no suspicions to what we’re doing. Someone who’s smaller, can be sneaky and get past people quickly.”

Suddenly, all eyes fell to Hehetmon.

“Hehet is small—if it can make a bunch of shelves fall, no one would see it—no one would be able to see it bouncing away and back to one of us around a corner!” Yeosang lit up and Hehet just clapped.

“Hehet help! Hehet help!”

Hongjoong actually smirked at the idea. They had actually made their leader a little bit proud. Well—surely, he had been proud before, but he seemed _pleased_. Maybe a little bit _prideful_ when he looked at them.

“It’s settled. Tomorrow morning, we use Hehetmon to knock over some shelves when no one is around. We’ll be there to get him, and we’ll hurry to the gate.” Hongjoong clapped his hands, the sound sharp in the small room. “We’ll shower and eat before we go as well. Not sure when we’ll get any luxuries again.”

With that said, Hongjoong himself disappeared into the bathroom. Seonghwa laid back on the bed in silence. Yeosang and Jongho shared a concerned look. Neither wanted to confront their hyungs about the change in atmosphere between them, not when they were both in the room. But it was… awkward.

Hopefully, they would work it out soon enough.

\---

Yeosang was, by all means, nervous. Because this was, perhaps, the trickiest thing they’ve ever had to do. Trickier than any world, than any feat they’ve had to overcome. For the first time, there was very, very real danger to be had.

They had arrived on time to the library, happily chatting with Seungmin about what their tasks for the day would be. Seonghwa had been tasked with returning books to the shelves alongside Hongjoong, which Seungmin readily trusted the mage to do given his title. Hongjoong… simply because he figured they’d be fine together.

Yeosang and Jongho were tasked with being the ones to pick the books up from the desks and the tables so that Seungmin could sort them for Seonghwa and Hongjoong to put back.

He was fine with this job, given the fact that they would all be moving around the library quite a bit, so they could also disappear after Hehetmon managed to knock down some of the bookcases.

So, without much else, they did their job for a few hours. Made small talk, talked about where they were from to people, until the opportunity struck on the third floor. No one was there at all, no one has been there for about 15 minutes either. Jongho and Yeosang give one another a nod, then Jongho leaves to tell the others that Hehetmon is about to start their plan.

Yeosang has to hide. Because if anyone sees him gathering Hehetmon, they would all know what was going on. So, he hides behind a few shelves in the corner, near the staircase, barely peeking out as Hehetmon begins.

The little creature is small, usually quiet and sleeping in Yeosang’s bag, but it’s _strong_. Hehetmon takes in a huge breath of air and just—just _goes_ for it. Bouncing from bookcase to bookcase, knocking them over, causing a huge commotion—one that was even bigger than Yeosang and the others had expected.

Yeosang was terrified for a moment before Hehetmon came leisurely floating back to him. He had to hide himself as best as he could when he heard the sounds of Seungmin and Felix rushing up the stairs. As soon as they had cleared the area surround the stairs, Yeosang bolted. Running as quickly down as he could.

By the time he reached the gate, they were all waiting for him.

The gate itself was… immense. Beneath the library, it was a gate larger than life, decorated with… ruins. Jongho claimed he had seen a language similar, and if he remembered correctly, they were a poem of death. It did nothing to ease his nerves. But they had to press on. The butterfly was going to be close. No magic could be used beyond the gate, but they had to try.

“If anything happens, we fight to the death.” Hongjoong looked at them all as they stood in front of the stone monument, absent of any elaborate decoration one would expect from such a monumental, magical structure. But, well… if there was a death poem on it, maybe decorations weren’t needed.

“We don’t have much time.” Seonghwa’s sharp voice cut through the air, and Yeosang felt the eldest’s fingers curl into his own. “Everyone hold on to one another. I have no idea what lies beyond.”

Beyond, right now, was the emptiest black that Yeosang had ever seen. Even the very air that surrounded the gate seemed to suck in any sound that could possibly come near it. Void.

Everyone gripped one another’s hands, and slowly, they entered the blackness.

There was no light. No sound. Nothing but black as far as they eye could see. As soon as they had crossed the threshold of the gate, Yeosang had seen nothing but black. He couldn’t tell if the space was hot or cold, the only thing grounding him was Seonghwa’s and Jongho’s hands gripping his own. They were still together, even as they walked.

“Careful.” Seonghwa’s voice sounded like it was a million miles away, yet he was quite literally right next to him. Jongho’s fingers tightened their grip on his hand. Yeosang merely squeezed back.

Everything had been black until it suddenly wasn’t any longer.

Suddenly, the floor began to crumble, giving way to have them suddenly falling—falling into something hot, something full of light— until they all were deposited into a pile of… sand?

_Anthina_.

Anthina? Home?

Yeosang let go of the hands that held his own to study his home, in person, for the first time since he woke up. Something he had memories of but had never quite fully remembered. But it was his home. He knew the buildings, the air, the _smell_ of the desert. The bright blue of the sky, the way the sun hit his skin… for a moment, he felt comfort.

“This is Anthina. Mine and Prince Yeosang’s home.” Here, in their world, the title of ‘prince’ was given back to him. They had gotten so close that Yeosang had nearly forgotten his own heritage, forgotten he was the prince over an entire kingdom. With Jongho, he had only felt like a normal person. A normal person in love.

“So… _this_ is the world Prince Yeosang rules over…” Seonghwa mused, eyes looking to the horizon. How weird it was to have them call him that. To remember who he was. Hehetmon opened its mouth as wide as it could, dispensing Hongjoong and Jongho’s swords back to them.

“I don’t trust it.” Hongjoong spoke up as he pulled his sword from its sheath, his sharp eyes examining the world around them. “There are no people. No sounds. I get that it’s a desert, but you guys have people and fucking animals. I don’t like this.”

“Why would we be deposited here? Why… Anthina?” Yeosang brushed off his clothes and glanced into his bag to make sure Heheton was still there. It was, its little head popping out to look around.

“Butterfly! I feel the butterfly!” Without Yeosang helping it out, Hehetmon floated out of the backpack and onto Jongho’s head. Its little arm pointed west of where they were standing. “That way!”

Yeosang was trying to remember what was there, but his memories were still fuzzy. He had… a lot he still didn’t entirely remember, could only vaguely remember without trying too hard. Hongjoong twirled his sword in his hand and took a few steps in the direction Hehetmon told them about.

“So, we go that way.” Hongjoong replied smoothly, a little uncaring. He got like that when things were serious. He’d also been like that since he and Seonghwa had fought. But that was something to be worried about when they weren’t in a gate of death, essentially.

“The ruins are that way. If the butterfly is there… I think I know where it could be.” Yeosang’s head whipped around to Jongho, whose expression had darkened significantly. The ruins. They were something he hazily remembered, but… he knew it was the place that he had lost his memories. Was Jongho thinking that the room it happened… was where the butterfly was?

Hongjoong, while Yeosang was staring at Jongho, only nodded. “I know nothing about your world, so you’ll lead with me. Seonghwa, you’ve got to watch Yeosang. If the gate brought them back here, I don’t like what might be waiting for us.”

Wordlessly, Seonghwa came up to wrap an arm around Yeosang’s shoulders. Suddenly, dread filled his body, making it difficult to move as they began their trek through the empty streets of Yeosang and Jongho’s home.

Sand crunched under Yeosang’s boots, the warm wind whipping around him, the sun beating down against his head… all things that, in theory, felt like home. Felt normal, but like the scattered memories in his mind, he knew something was off. The eerie stillness of the land, usually filled with people, with laughter and work, was… empty. Not silent. _Empty_.

_Void_.

No one spoke as they walked. They did not move slow, knowing that time was of the essence for them. Seonghwa had never strayed far from his side, had removed his arm from his shoulders only so he could hold Yeosang’s hand instead. Their walk to the ruins was uneventful. But there was a _buzzing_ in the air that made Yeosang’s hair stand on end. Something was coming for them. Something absolutely terrifying was coming for them.

“I… I remember this. Part of this.” Yeosang’s voice was scared, quiet as the ruins came over the horizon. It terrified him how large they were as they neared the dilapidated stone structures. For some reason, he was beginning to feel sick to his stomach. He squeezed Seonghwa’s hand, and Seonghwa squeezed back.

“There’s a room beneath that temple.” Jongho’s voice rose, his sword pointing to the biggest structure in the sand. “There are three rooms. The one to the right is where I believe the butterfly is.”

Seonghwa, still holding Yeosang’s hand, raised his head in response. “ _Ah_. I think I know what this is.”

“What this is?” Hongjoong quipped in return, confusion decorating his voice. “You know what magic they’re using?”

“In a sense. The butterfly is connected to Yeosang’s memories, yes? It has memory magic, which the books in the library are able to use. When they created the gate for the relics, they placed a puzzle on them all. A mind puzzle, to be exact, to hide the relics within. The people did not choose the puzzle. The objects chose their puzzle. That’s why we’re in Anthina. The only people who could successfully navigate the puzzle are those whom the object belongs to.”

Yeosang and Jongho, then, were able to find the butterfly because it was Yeosang’s? It made some sense, yes, but something was still off. Thankfully, Hongjoong spoke up with his concerns.

“So, it’s been quiet because they made the right choices in where to go?”

Seonghwa licked over his lips, pursing them together before giving the slightest nod of his head. “Yes. But, if what Jongho says is true, as soon as we’re close enough to that temple the traps will be activated. They _can_ implement traps into the puzzles while not creating the puzzles themselves. It’s _incredibly_ hard to do and does require someone coming in to find the object so the traps can be placed. However, this means the portal out must be with the object itself. So, next to the butterfly.”

Hongjoong, eyes hardened, and jaw clenched, only stared at Seonghwa side of Seonghwa’s face before twirling the handle of his sword in his hand. “We can take it.”

Yeosang prayed they could.

They were slower as they approached the base of the staircase leading into the large temple. And everything was fine, still, until the second Yeosang’s feet touched the stone of the steps. From nowhere a deep, blaring siren sounded. All heads whipped around, scanning the area, as the entire world began to shake. The trap had been activated. Holes began to sink in the ground, and from them emerged… _monsters_. Demons made of stone, beasts with red glowing in the hollows of where their eyes would be.

They looked upon the group on the stairs, their climbs cracking as they stood to their full height, and together they let out a deep war cry that shook Yeosang to his core.

“Get inside! You two run ahead and get the butterfly!” Hehetmon flew from Jongho’s head back into Yeosang’s opened bag as Hongjoong screamed at them.

“What about you?! A sword can’t break stone!” Seonghwa called back, dragging Yeosang up the stairs by his hand. Despite his upmost concern, Seonghwa was still listening to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong whipped his head around and Yeosang saw fire in his pleading eyes. “We’ll figure it out, even if we just stall them! Get the butterfly so we can get out of here!”

Yeosang felt the hesitation in Seonghwa’s movements, the eldest possibly wondering whether he needed to fight and use his magic, perhaps remembered he could use no magic here, and ended up sharply turning as he continued to yank Yeosang into the temple. Jongho had said nothing to them. He’d only been watching the monsters, waiting for them to strike. Yeosang knew he needed to hurry. For his sake.

“I don’t—I don’t really remember this place as much. I know the staircase is behind the altar—” Yeosang hurried them through the fallen statues, wishing he had time to look upon them, even if they weren’t real, to the staircase he remembered. Jongho had mentioned the room to the right, and he would keep it in mind.

They hurried down the stairs, hurried through the damp and narrow stone hallway, until they reached a room with three doors. The one to the right, which he knew was the one to go, one he thought he remembered being a supply room of sorts, and… a third one, where two slabs of wood laid on the ground.

Two? In his memories… there had been one?

Nevertheless, they had to get inside.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Yeosang.” Seonghwa spoke so gently, assuredly to him. When Yeosang looked down at their joined hands, he noticed… he was shaking. Oh. “We can do this. You and I.”

“Yeah.” Yeosang responded, though nothing in his voice was confident. “Yeah, we can. I just—my body… doesn’t like this place? It’s buzzing. Vibrating. Jongho said I’d felt that way before I lost my memories. It’s trying to remember—and it _can’t_.”

For the first time in a long time, before they ever stepped foot into the room, Seonghwa turned and wrapped his arms tight around the younger, cradling Yeosang’s head against his own. Yeosang returned the hug just as tight, his fingers curling into Seonghwa’s shirt as he buried his head into the elder’s neck.

He felt like a boy. Not a prince.

“I know you’re scared, Sangie. I’m here for you. I’m always here for you. I’ll protect you, okay? Nothing will happen.” Seonghwa petted his hair, gently rocking them as he attempted to soothe Yeosang’s nerves. _This_ was the hyung he missed. The one who had held him and cared for him when he first woke up. Having Seonghwa like this again… helped. It really helped.

“Thank you, hyung. I missed this. So much.” Yeosang smiled a small, warm smile as he pulled back. About that time, as they still held onto one another, Hehetmon poked itself right back out of Yeosang’s bag.

“Butterfly! Butterfly! It’s in there!” It tapped over and over and over again on Yeosang’s shoulder before pointing into the awaiting room. Jongho had been right.

“Right.” Yeosang completely detached himself from his hyung. “Right, yeah, we need to get it. So we can get Jongho and Hongjoong-hyung out of harm’s way.”

Seonghwa nodded at him, and they entered the room.

It was beautiful. Yeosang’s memory was hazy, but the rush of the water and the large marble columns and statues felt… familiar. They both looked around, trying to find the butterfly. There was nothing in the water, and nothing sitting around. They stepped in further, and from the oculus in the dome above, a blue butterfly began to descend.

The blaring siren returned.

The ground in the room shook and Yeosang felt liquid, cold fear freeze his veins, rendering him immobile. Seonghwa jumped back to grip onto his shoulders, keeping close as the monsters that had been outside began to fill the room they were in. But the butterfly was there, floating at the edge of the water. They were close—and Yeosang had to be brave.

“Come on!” Seonghwa yanked him to the side as one of the monstrous stone being wailed a fist down where they had been standing, breaking the tile of the marble floor beneath it. The monsters let out the same war cry as before, and Yeosang finally found his footing in the adrenaline that was rushing through him now. Pure, unadulterated, fear-induced adrenaline.

“We have—we have to get it!” Yeosang pleaded, having to once again run back behind a stone near the wall to try and hide. Seonghwa, huffing, looked more serious than Yeosang had perhaps ever seen him before.

“I’m going to distract them. You hide until I’ve gotten their attention. Then, you bolt and go immediately for the butterfly. Do not hesitate. Do not look back until you’ve got it. Do you understand? I’m going to protect you, Prince Yeosang. I promise.”

The look in Seonghwa’s eyes, a look begging him for trust, was enough for Yeosang. Seonghwa meant it. He… he had lied when they first met, hidden himself behind fake smiles (that occasionally came out, but still), but now? Seonghwa only spoke when he meant it. Whatever he said, he meant.

“Okay.” Yeosang breathed out, hunkering himself down further behind the rock. “Please be safe.”

Seonghwa said nothing as he picked up a few stray rocks in his hands, and, without fear, stood and began _throwing them at the monsters_.

“Over here!” The eldest bolted from behind the rock, rushing himself as far away as he could get, still throwing rocks to make the large monstrosities follow him. And they did. Letting the same war cry out as before, their large bodies began to slowly move to where Seonghwa was. And Yeosang knew he had to hurry.

Once he thought he was in the clear, he moved as quietly, but swiftly, as he could to the butterfly. Yet the buzzing in his body continued, got louder, filling his mind with a white noise that almost rendered him immobile as he neared it. But he had to hurry. He had to press on.

His mind was swirling, his mind trying to remember something it absolutely couldn’t—flashes of things he couldn’t make out distorting his vision, making it hard to think as he approached the butterfly. His hands shook as he reached out for it, feeling as though his body was ripping itself in half.

Ah. That must be the final trap. A memory puzzle, where the final trap is reliving a painful memory. A memory Yeosang… could not remember.

Yeosang felt a scream rip from him as he touched the butterfly, yanking it to his chest so it could be absorbed. He remembered numbing pain—

And then nothing.

\---

Seonghwa and Yeosang hadn’t been gone long. Jongho and Hongjoong had barely had time to fight, to distract the stone monstrosities from entering the temple, when a siren was called again and the monsters sunk back into the sand. Truly, they had no time to do anything. Their swords hadn’t had time to make contact, they had just gotten the monsters away from the temple—and they were gone.

Hongjoong had a very, very bad feeling.

“Where did they go?” Jongho’s voice, riddled with concern, filled his ears and Hongjoong could only shake his head. He had no damn idea. “Hyung, _where are they_?”

“We didn’t fix this. We didn’t destroy this trap—we would’ve _known_. They got called out somewhere, where—”

The trap was still activated. Something else triggered it. They must have found the butterfly.

“Come on! We’ve got to get to them!” Hongjoong raced up the stairs, sword in hand, as Jongho swiftly followed behind him. It felt like it took them forever to climb the stairs, forever to get down the next flight and to the room Jongho spoke of.

Neither spoke any words, both of their minds filled with concern for the ones they held the closest to their heart.

When they got into the room, they watched Seonghwa dive through the monsters, under one of their legs, sliding himself to Yeosang’s limp body. They watched Seonghwa pick him up and began running as best he could.

“Yeosang-hyung! Prince Yeosang!” Hongjoong turned to see fear swarming on Jongho’s face. Entering this place again had been the thing Jongho had feared most. His voice shrieked out Yeosang’s name, but the limp body in Seonghwa’s arms didn’t move.

“He got the butterfly! I don’t know what happened, but he screamed and blacked out!” Seonghwa cradled the younger’s head to his chest, looking for somewhere to hide—and now there wasn’t one. Jongho looked frantic for a moment, taking a step forward before his entire body went rigid.

In an instant, Jongho was cradling his right eye, collapsing to his knees. He had no damn idea what was happening, but the second Jongho let out a pained yell, all of the monsters turned their attention towards them. Hongjoong reached down to help, to try and pick Jongho up, but when he looked up…

Jongho’s right eye looked _red_.

He had issues seeing out of it, Hongjoong remembered that from Giverny. He remembered Jongho had no idea why either. But now, as something plagued his mind, Jongho’s hand gripping at his own hair, he watched how red in color it turned. And then, Jongho snapped.

All pain erased from his face, all… emotion erased from his face, something flashed in Jongho’s eye that Hongjoong couldn’t read as he rose to his feet. Hongjoong glanced to Seonghwa, who shared his concern, as the monsters readily aimed their sights on Jongho. Hongjoong still had no damn idea what was happening, but he stepped back as Jongho stepped forward.

Swords should not be able to cut through stone. Yet, Jongho somehow knew to slide through where the stones connected to one another in order to dismember them and ‘destroy’ them. He moved with ease, incredible agile as he swept through the air, monster to monster, to attack and dismember. Hongjoong hurried to Seonghwa’s side, concerned for both him and Yeosang.

Jongho? Concerned, yes. Confused, even more so.

The levels of combat he was exhibiting were beyond anything that Hongjoong had seen from him. He was the one who taught him how to fight and use a sword and there was no way in hell he ever taught Jongho how to do that. And he hadn’t _known_ how to do it. Barely knew how to handle a sword when they met.

And he just cleared a room of stone monsters. On his fucking _own_.

When the last one was gone, fallen into a pile of rocks on the floor, its eyes losing their glow, Jongho dropped to his knees, sword falling in front of him. Hongjoong watched Jongho clutch at his head, all tension dropping from his body. Hongjoong and Seonghwa shared one more look, and Hongjoong made his way to stand in front of Jongho.

“… Jongho?” He spoke hesitantly, but when Jongho looked up, his eyes were normal. Though there were tears streaming down his cheeks. “Are you… alright?”

“I… hyung.” The youngest of them wiped at his face, his tone shaky, confused. “What happened…? I just… I just relived… Yeosang losing his memories?”

“It may have been the final piece of this puzzle.” Seonghwa’s soft voice responded as Hongjoong helped Jongho back to his feet. “Reliving and fighting against your worst memory. That’s the only explanation I have right now.”

Hongjoong nodded in agreement, but didn’t believe it, truthfully. He had only briefly seen Jongho’s eye color turn red, but he knew what had happened was more than just memory magic. People didn’t fight like that, didn’t have skill like that just through magic. There was something deeply, deeply wrong. Jongho probably didn’t even know it. But they didn’t have time to unpack that.

From the body of the last monster came a bright light, opening a rift in the space. Must have been their way out.

“Alright, we’ll talk about this later. We need to _move_.” Seonghwa lifted Yeosang into his arms in a more secure way before walking over to Hongjoong and Jongho. Hongjoong gripped onto Seonghwa’s shirt and held onto Jongho’s hand so they could enter back through the portal. Hehetmon’s head poked out of Yeosang’s back against his chest, ready for when they got back to the library to get them out of there.

Except, they had no time for that.

The portal opened them back up _outside_ of the library. And when they stepped onto the grass, they were met with Changbin and Seungmin, surprisingly, wearing police-like uniforms, with guards all standing behind them. Shit, _shit_. They knew they’d gotten in and were waiting for them outside.

“Come on!” Not a second to waste, Hongjoong turned and _bolted_ in the opposite direction. Jongho right behind him, Seonghwa struggling with Yeosang’s dead weight in his arms. But he ran. “Hehetmon, come the fuck on! We need to get out, you can use magic again!”

“Can’t—Hehet can’t concentrate!” The little creature was trying, but because of their running couldn’t take the few seconds it needed to open a portal.

Hongjoong had no clue where he was as they ran around the library, acting like mad as he twisted and turned and tried to find any opportunity for them to stop. But he fucked up. The leader, the person they depended on, fucked up. He ran them into a deadend at the back of the library, blocked by a tall fence and a brick wall. They couldn’t get to the other side of the library. The back was blocked off.

“Hyung—hyung what are we going to do?!” All turned to see the fast approaching guards chasing after them, and for the second time in his life, Hongjoong felt like a true, real failure. He’d failed them. Dread seeped into his bones, and his mind went blank. He had no answers. He had no solution.

Seonghwa, out of nowhere, stepped in front of them and raised his hand up to an undeterred group of guards.

“Seonghwa, what—” Hongjoong started to speak, but was caught off by… singing. Seonghwa was _singing_. But it wasn’t normal singing.

The air was filled with the sound of Seonghwa’s beautiful, deep voice, but quickly other voices began to join in—like they echoed one another, all in different pitches from Seonghwa’s. As he sang, notes of music poured from his mouth, tangible and dark, and in front of his hand a barrier of notes, twined together to resemble a gate surrounded by white light, something the guards could not get past. High as the library itself, surrounding them all.

**_Seonghwa used his magic._ **

**_For the first time with them._ **

“Hehetmon.” Seonghwa’s voice returned to normal, albeit deeper, serious, as his hand held the gate up. Yeosang was still steady against Seonghwa’s chest, but he was beginning to shake. From where he was standing, Hongjoong could see anger and _amazement_ written on Seungmin’s face. Seonghwa was, apparently, a class D mage after all. “Get us out of here.”

Hehetmon bounced down into the grass, amongst all of them, and Hongjoong still stared at the back of Seonghwa’s head until the eldest turned to look at them. He looked scared. Like the Seonghwa that cried in his bed in Hwandon.

“ _Why_?” Hongjoong spoke up, even as Hehetmon opened the portal. “Why _now_?”

Seonghwa, hand still raised, nodded his head down to Yeosang’s passed out form. “I promised him that I would protect him. I promised nothing bad would happen. I can’t let him suffer. I can’t hurt him more than I already have.”

Hongjoong would take that.

Hehetmon opened its sharp eyes, the familiar “ _Kyu_!” ringing out, as the flower on its head began to spin. As always, the ground below them gave way for the dark portal, the tendrils of magic coming to twist and envelope them, pulling them in and twisting until they were gone.

In an instant, they were off to their next world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, his magic! Seongwa did it! And he will again, very soon!!
> 
> As always, if there's anything you'd like to see/have explained, feel free to leave a comment!! Because of going back to work full time, I'm not as worked ahead as I'd like to be-- which does mean even more things can be added!
> 
> Thank you again for reading, see you next week!!


	11. Interlude: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to say too much, but thank you for reading!!
> 
> The notes will all be at the end!

** Enter: Eden **

The room is dark. Red stained. The throne of red, broken glass looms empty over the vastness of the room. A portal opens before it, and Eden steps back out. He has returned to the room where the laws of the universe do not exist. The room Eden has hidden himself in now for centuries. Where he has watched, waited, and planned.

As he made his way back up onto his throne, the screen he watched the group with flickered back to life before him. He had a bit to catch up on after his little excursion to see Wooyoung and his boy toy. And he does catch up easily, unmoving as he watched the screen. Something caught his eye, however, making his own hardened eyes narrow. Eden continued to sit like that, still as a statue, before angrily snapping his fingers as the group left the world.

** Enter: Her **

In an instant, the woman from before returned, her sharp heels clicking against the floor as she carried the seat set on a wooden tray up to Eden. As she always did, as she always had. Her hair is still in its sleek ponytail, her red lips still as dark and crimson as the darkened room around her. Her job has always been to serve. Her creation had been so long in the past she cannot remember how it occurred. She knows she is not truly alive, but it does not bother her.

“Welcome back, Eden. Did you speak to Wooyoung?” Her eyes, blank and barren, stare at her master as he picks up a small milk pitcher to pour into his teacup. Next is the tea itself, no sugar this time. He scoffed as he took a drink, his eyes rolling.

“I did. He is as spiteful as ever towards me.” Eden, with a wave of his hand, brought a small black table into existence next to him. He placed his cup of tea down, his head dropping into his hand as he groaned. He was frustrated—more frustrated than he could ever remember being. “I let him and his little toy know where I stand. I don’t believe he’s betraying me—and even if he was, this timeline has proven fruitful for me. They have collected a number of memories. The map is immense—and it’s almost time.”

Eden, with a flick of his wrist, brought the screen back into view. Without so much as moving from her spot, the woman’s head slowly turned towards it. Playing before them was the rewound scene of Jongho slashing the stone monsters. One by one with ease, as though he was _programmed_ for it.

_Because he was._

“The seal was broken for the first time during this journey. It pleases me to see it working so well.” Eden smirked, something dark curling in the corners of his mouth. “The others remained unharmed. They did not get in his way, which was a smart move for them. The butterfly had been retrieved, but those creatures nearly hurt the vessel. And the seal broke for a few minutes before closing.”

“You do not look as pleased, Eden.” The woman spoke with no emotion in her voice, no indication to whether she was concerned or being condescending. She was neither, truly, as she had no capacity for such things. She was an empty shell of a creation whose entire purpose was to serve. Whether that was tea, conversation, or anything else.

Eden’s eyes began to grow darker, the smirk leaving him as a frown took over. The screen, with a swipe of the man’s fingers, quickly moved to the scene of Seonghwa placing the magical barrier between them all and the guards.

“The mage has finally used his magic. Had he not, Jongho’s seal would have broken again. And he would have disposed of anyone getting in the way of the mission. Pity, I would have liked to see it happen.”

“What is the problem, Eden?”

“The _problem_ …” He continued, pausing so he could sigh and begin rubbing at the bridge of his nose. He was bothered, annoyed by the little bumps in the road that popped up. “… is that the stupid man I had go grab that mage when he was a child turned out to be a _psychopath_. He trained him as well as I had hoped he would, but now he’s hellbent on killing as many people as he can to take their power and Seonghwa’s as well. He was captured before Seonghwa began the mission, but I felt his presence as soon as the mage used his magic.”

The woman turned her head from the screen and back to her master before you. “You are worried this man will mess with your plans in this timeline.”

“Yes, unfortunately. And _this one_ was going so _well_.” Eden slammed his fist down onto the arm of his throne, head falling back as he once more groaned. He was frustrated. Because life would have been so much easier for them all if people would just do what they were supposed to do. “I even gave them a mage and a warrior this time. It should have been so _guarded_ , so _simple_ to do! And they’ve been doing so well thus far!”

Suddenly, Eden bolted up from his throne, his hand smacking at the tea set in the woman’s hands—causing it to disappear without a trace. The woman knew, as Eden descended down the stairs, to follow swiftly behind him.

In this room, where the laws of the universe do not apply, there is nothing but the throne that can be seen at all times. Light followed Eden wherever he goes, and as he walked behind the bottom of his throne, back behind it, the dim light that illuminated the red space followed under his footsteps. The heels of his boots clacking just as much as the woman’s heels, the echo so deep in the room it seemed to continue on forever.

Once a ways behind the throne, Eden swiped the palm of his hand into the air, and from nothing came a tank—a tank containing a body, one preserved in liquid, barely kept alive by the tubes coming from its nose and mouth. When gazed upon properly, one could make out exactly who it was.

_Jongho_.

“I had kept the failure for his memories, in case they needed to be planted into another, but I don’t believe the original will be of much use anymore.” Eden walked around the glass of the tank, and the woman stood still. “Even if that psychopath tries to intervene, the seal the new one has will break. He will not stop until the mission is complete. Or he dies.”

“You believe the seal was the key to making this timeline perfect?”

Eden hummed at the question, taking a moment to revel in how happy he was to have made a thought-provoking creature to serve him. “Partially, yes. The previous timeline proved that I needed control over him in order to take Yeosang’s memories. I’ll give the original one thing: his insolence gave me time to plan more. Planting the mage and the warrior into this has proven to be a worthy investment.”

Had Eden screwed with all of their lives in order to achieve his end goal? Of course. But that was not something he felt bad about—there was no room in his heart for such trivial things. He thought only of himself and that was how he had been so successful thus far. It was how he would continue to work.

The man smiled again, devilishly even, as he stepped back from the tank. It wouldn’t be long. A few more worlds at most, and he would bring it to an end. Bring them to Anthina and finally finish what he had worked centuries upon millennia for.

The room turned black again as he walked off with the woman, tank disappearing back into the black depths of the room.

Yes, time would be coming to an end soon enough.

****

** Exit: The Room Without Time **

~xXx~

The cool breeze of fall fluttered through Yunho’s hair, but he barely felt it. In fact, he barely noticed the dip in temperature from the time he had come outside late in the evening to now, in the middle of the darkest part of the night.

Yunho wasn’t sure what Hongjoong was going through. He knew little things, he could see into Hongjoong’s dreams… when he dreamt, that was. More often than not, there were no dreams for Yunho to see, no memories and worries for him to read. Hongjoong was on his own and Yunho feared still that his closest friend hated him for what he had done. But… he owed her, he still owed her, and he owed it to Hongjoong to make sure he became the person he promised her he would become.

Yet, he still felt bad. There was guilt eating away at his heart and there was no way to stop such a deep-rooted feeling inside him. He could only wait, hope for Hongjoong to dream, and pray he made the right choice.

On the wooden beams of the rooftop of his own palace, Yunho thought about everything that had happened. The world had been… quiet, empty feeling to the prince since Hongjoong had left. Where his yelling and fighting had excited the air around the palace, it had now grown stagnant, bland, and empty without him. Yunho missed Hongjoong more than he could ever describe.

“Yunho? Are you up here again?” Ah, there was one shining light in all of this. Mingi.

Yunho and Mingi had always, always been together. Mingi’s family had always served as guards to Yunho’s, and when they were children they were raised together by the same nanny, sharing the same gardens to play in and rooms to study in—until Mingi was taken to be properly trained as a guard, of course.

Mingi had been there when Yunho had dream-walked for the first time. They had been so young, and Yunho had woken up from a nap dazed before he began crying—because he had seen so many people, had been so lost, so scared when they all tried to speak to him. Mingi had rushed in, tripping on his own little feet, as he searched for Yunho in his bed.

His family had told him later of the magical abilities flowing through the royal family and that his had manifested in dream-walking magic. He was taught from then on how to harness such magic, how to talk to people, how to visit others as they dreamt and to see the dreams of those he knew. He had finally started feeling comfortable with it when… _she_ visited him.

\---

_“… hello?” Yunho’s little voice filled the empty, echoing space. Usually there were so many people around, where was everyone? Yunho stepped around the dark space, his eyes looking everywhere he could, trying to locate where the person who called for him could be._

_From the nothingness came a man, one who couldn’t have been much older than his own older brother. His hair was lilac, skin a golden color that shimmered like the sun, decorated in beautiful rings and bracelets, necklaces hanging down his bare chest. He wore a kind of shirt and leathery pant that Yunho had never seen before, but the warm smile on his lips when he saw Yunho made him feel… safe. He would be alright._

_“Prince Yunho, right?” As the man stepped up, Yunho unconsciously hesitated and began walking backwards. In response, the man held his hands up and dropped himself down onto one knee. “I won’t hurt you, alright? You’re safe here. My name is Wooyoung. Has your family taught you about the Dimensional Witch?”_

_Yunho nodded, stopping a few feet away from Wooyoung. “Yes… they have. Are you the owner of the tea shop…?”_

_Wooyoung’s eyes lit up again, ringed hands moving to rest folded on his knee. “I am. I’ve come to tell you something important. There is a little boy about your age in a village not far from you. Something terrible has happened. His mother is dying, but she has a wish—and to fulfill it, she needs you. She’s a dream-walker just like you. Will you talk to her?”_

_A little boy needed his help? Yunho frowned, his hands moving to clutch at his own robes. “Does she look scary?”_

_Wooyoung laughed, a high-pitched, happy laugh. “No! No, Prince Yunho. In the dream-state, no one looks scary. Her body is hurt, but her soul is fine. You only see the person’s soul in their dreams.”_

_Yunho pondered such a thing, a little too young to understand, but nodded in response. “Okay. I’ll talk to her.”_

_Wooyoung’s smile softened as he stood, and as he began walking backwards into the darkness, a woman emerged. She was… as beautiful as Yunho’s own mother. Dressed in robes of pink and gold, decorations glittering like the stars in the heavens in her long black hair, and she had the softest look to her skin. She looked… motherly. The kind of energy that made a child trust them, made a child want to run to them._

_Immediately, the woman sat down on her knees, hands resting on her knees. She gave a little bow, and Yunho was quick to sit the same way in front of her, bowing in return. As a good little prince would._

_“Hello, Prince Yunho. It is an honor to meet the emperor’s son himself.” Yunho blushed at the woman’s kind voice, which she laughed soft as the air at him. “Something terrible has happened to our village. We are very far into the country… I worry that no one will realize what is happening until it’s too late.”_

_“What happened?” The young prince’s eyes widened as big as tea saucers. Like a child being told a harrowing story, he was pulled right in._

_“A very evil man has come to destroy everything. He has a wish to be fulfilled just like I do, but he’s being very terrible about it. He has taken everything away from my son. His village, his friends, his father, and now me. His name is Hongjoong. He’s only a year or two older than you. Will you please go find him?”_

_There was something so sad in the woman’s pretty eyes. Yunho found himself reflecting the same look in his own eyes, little fingers gripping the edges of his robes. “Why me?”_

_The woman raised a hand to rest against the young prince’s cheek, right as tears began to form in her eyes. “Because, Prince Yunho, you have a heart made of gold. I believe if there was ever a place for my son to thrive after all of this, it would be under the guidance of someone like you. My Hongjoong is so scared right now, he’s going to become vengeful in his life—I can’t let him live such a life. I want him to be happy, to know what it means to love and be strong… in a way that isn’t destructive to him.”_

_The woman’s hand felt so chilled against his cheek, and the little prince felt helpless as tears dripped from the woman’s eyelashes. “I want my baby to be happy, Prince Yunho. Because I can’t be there to make sure he grows up well.”_

_All of a sudden, the woman began to… disappear. Her body flaked away, turning into dust as it mingled with the air. She took her deteriorating hand back with a sad smile, now allowing more tears to stream down her cheeks._

_“My time is up, Prince Yunho. Please, please find my Hongjoong. Wooyoung will guide you there—” Her voice trailed off and, as she stood, her entire body… disappeared. Her soul finally at rest. For young Yunho, at least, it wasn’t a horrible thing to witness._

_Wooyoung stepped back into his view, a sad look in his eye as he knelt down in front of Yunho. “I can take you there, if you want to fulfill her wish. You don’t have to, you know. It’s all up to you.”_

_“No! I have to!” Yunho stood up all of a sudden, tears staining his own cheeks, his little hands clenched into fists at his side. “Mingi and I will find Hongjoong! We’ll all be friends! He can be a guard with Mingi! I promise his mom he’ll be ok!”_

_Wooyoung looked surprised at the outburst, but his shocked expression only faded into absolutely delight as he clapped his hands together. He stood up and offered his hand out to Yunho who readily accepted it. He was grinning again. Yunho looked more determined than he ever had before._

_For the first time, he felt like his magic powers could be used for good._

\---

“Yeah, I’m up here.” Yunho spoke out into the wind, watching as Mingi’s red head popped up as he climbed up to the roof. He was in his bed clothes, simple white shirt and loose trousers, and Yunho knew he had to be cold. It was becoming autumn now and the nights were much cooler than they had been before.

Mingi slowly walked up and sat down next to his prince on the wooden beam, his arm immediately wrapping around Yunho’s waist. On the roof, in the middle of the night, they could just… _be_. No titles, no rules, no regulations. Just two people, secretly in love.

When Hongjoong had left, Yunho had gone into a deep state of worry, wondering if he had done right by both Hongjoong and his mother. He had paid the price for the journey long before, when he had last spoken to Wooyoung, and he’d had time to reconsider—he had to trust his gut. He had to believe this was right. As much as he missed Hongjoong, he had promised when he fulfilled Hongjoong’s mother’s wish to make him a good and happy man.

“Missing him again, huh?” Mingi pulled Yunho closer, making the older just laugh under his breath.

“Are you jealous?”

“Not at all. I know where your heart lies.” Mingi turned his head just enough to press a slow, sweet kiss into Yunho’s hair. “And I miss him too. Too quiet around here without him.”

Yunho sighed, finally leaning his weight into Mingi’s side. “I wonder what kind of a man he’s become. I saw… a few dreams, but I’ve tried not to look. I’ve never engaged him. I don’t know if he remembers that he _can_ engage me if he sees me. I wonder… if he remembers what my powers are like.”

“We never really told him, did we?” Mingi pondered for a moment, his eyes gazing out to the gardens below. “You never told him how we knew to find you.”

“No.” Yunho breathed out. “Not yet. Not until… not until I thought it was the right time. I think that’ll be the next time he comes home, though. When he’s a better man for himself, I think he’ll be able to fully understand what happened. And he’ll understand why I had to do everything I had to do.”

Mingi hummed in response, and Yunho could feel the younger’s fingers stroking at his side. It was comforting, more than anything else. And he was quiet for a little while after that. “… You think he’s going to believe that I finally confessed?”

Yunho barked out a very sudden laugh, squirming in Mingi’s hold. Mingi only reacted by pulling Yunho closer with both of his arms, trying to pepper kisses onto Yunho’s cheeks.

Yes, Mingi had finally confessed in the week following Hongjoong leaving. He had seen Yunho down on himself, not acting the way he had before, and had been very upset when he cried and told Yunho he loved him and was upset because he’d been upset. It had been an… interesting conversation, one that had ended with Yunho calling him stupid because he’d been in love with him the entire time, and that Mingi was his source of happiness.

Really, Mingi was the comfort he needed now. They’d spent every second together before, but now, they had even begun sharing Yunho’s room, and being able to finally kiss Mingi and hold him in the privacy of their rooms was something that grounded him, made him feel happier than ever before.

“I—c’mon, I love you too, stop!” Yunho shut him up finally with a quick peck to his lips. Mingi seemed satisfied enough for the time being. “I think he knows that it was bound to happen anyways. Probably proud we finally got our feelings sorted out and confessed. Maybe he’s found someone too?”

Mingi snorted and broke out into laughter. “What, _Hongjoong_? Falling in _love_? Absolutely not. No way.”

“It can happen!”

“Not unless he literally completely changed as a person. I don’t know if a simple journey can do that, though.” Mingi shrugged and once more pulled Yunho to his side. This time, his free hand reached out to hold onto one of Yunho’s in his lap. Truly, Mingi just always wanted physical affection from him. “I want him to be happy. But he’s got a lot of learning to do.”

They sat like that for a while. In the silence, both silently comforting the other’s worries and concerns. Yunho laid his head on Mingi’s shoulder, and Mingi’s head came to rest atop of it. Hongjoong would be alright. Everything would… be alright. Yunho had to believe that.

At some point, Yunho began to feel it. The buzzing, the thrumming in his mind—Hongjoong was dreaming. He was tuned into the other’s dreams, but it wasn’t—it wasn’t a peaceful dreaming. There was frantic static, he could hear Hongjoong’s rapid heartbeat through his very soul. Fear. Hongjoong was feeling terrified, and Yunho knew that in someone’s darkest hour… they dreamt.

Just like his mother had.

Yunho shot up into the air, startling Mingi, his eyes entirely blank as he let dream-walk, lent himself over to Hongjoong, before coming back to himself. It only lasted a second, time in dreams working differently from time in reality, but he wasn’t himself when he came out of it. Not the normal tired he felt when exerting so much of his power and soul into dream-walking, but he had become… noticeably pale. Frantic and worried.

“Yunho?” Mingi stood, walking with his hands up as though he wanted to hold onto his lover, but couldn’t bring himself to. He looked scared. “Baby, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“H-Hongjoong--” Yunho stumbled back on the roof, but Mingi caught his hands and pulled him back up. “Prepare everyone you can—I need someone with bandages, someone with medicine, we’ll need a doctor, someone that can _sew_ —”

Mingi looked just as terrified as Yunho did as his lover shook in his hold. Yunho was always a calm, composed man. A just leader, though fun and exciting. Fear and terror were not things Yunho ever expressed. To see him like that… it scared Mingi to his core.

“Yunho, _what’s going on_?”

Yunho’s big, terrified brown eyes looked up. He was completely out of the dream-realm, the light reflecting the stars in his eyes again, but all color had run from his face. He looked as frantic as he ever had.

“We have company coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... surprise! The plot thickens! Surprise-- Jongho's a clone! Is Yeosang? You'll see soon! As well as more information about the other timeline!
> 
> I wanted to say really quick I'll be taking next week off! I work 45+ hours a week for now and don't really ever have time off, and the next chapter is INCREDIBLY important to the plot so I want to do it justice by taking my time! Every chapter, this one included, till the end is filled with plot and all working up rapidly to the final chapter. So I want it to be good for you guys! This is also why an interlude was posted today and not 
> 
> And I'm sorry for not replying to comments more, I haven't been online as much while working! I'll get to them soon, but please know I read them all and appreciate them!! They've kept me motivated to keep going! 
> 
> Do you remember how everyone in Modern Tokyo made it to level 12 of the game, but only Changbin made it to 17?
> 
> ;)


	12. World: Acid Tokyo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Hello everyone! As promised, here is the 12th chapter of Reservoir Chronicle! 
> 
> Things to note:
> 
> -As stated in my old post, updates may take a little longer as I'm in my final year of my master's degree! But it's been a joy to write between assignments, I've missed it so much.
> 
> -Remember, I said that everything I say in these fics, every detail, has a meaning. 
> 
> -So remember when Changbin beat that game it was because only he got to level 17... most only made it to 12. ;)
> 
> -As well, I put a very large hint into this chapter for what the sequel to this fic will be-- so watch for it!
> 
> Please read the notes at the end!
> 
> Enjoy chapter 12!!

~xXx~

**_Help me._ **

****

**_Please, can someone hear me? Anyone?_ **

****

**_Please, please help me._ **

****

**_It’s suffocating._ **

****

**_I’m suffocating._ **

****

**_Please, please help me!_ **

~xXx~

High off of the adrenaline of the Grand Library, Jongho immediately dropped to his knees as they entered their next worlds. His lungs begged him for air after running as fast as he could from the guards, and as he opened his mouth to gulp in as much as he could—it _hurt_. Not too much, not unbearable, but _noticeable_.

The air was thick, but something _acidic_ poured into his throat and it stung to even _breathe_. Jongho slapped a hand over his mouth, attempting to cover his nose as well as his head lifted to try and see where on earth they could possibly be.

Oh… oh, this was… in _ruins_.

The world reminded him of… Tokyo, where they had first met Felix, Changbin, Jisung, and Seungmin. There was evidence of roads and tall buildings, but all had fallen to rubble and disarray. Dust and dirt covered everything, dunes of this dust hiding and consuming what was left of the metal structure of the buildings.

The world was entirely… well, the color of the dust and dirt. A light brown, almost beige color, with smog so thick one could barely see. Clouds hung in the sky, evidence of a sun trying to peek through them, but were colored the same as the world around them. A fierce wind whipped around them, rustling the dust, as thunder murmured in the sky.

“I don’t like this.” Hongjoong coughed, and Jongho could tell by the way he was standing he wanted to discuss what had just happened, with his hand on his hip and his body turned close to Seonghwa, who kept his head down as he held Yeosang’s body tight in his arms.

“Yeosang-hyung still hasn’t woken up?” Jongho walked over to examine him, finding relief in the fact that Yeosang’s cheeks were still pink. He would be alright—he didn’t look like he was dying. He was just… asleep.

Seonghwa shook his head, and Jongho heard Hongjoong’s boots scuffling in the dirt. “There’s one building over there that seem sturdy.” All heads turned to the direction Hongjoong was pointing and, sure enough, there was a small building that… didn’t appear to be ruined at all. In fact, it looked rather pristine.

Thunder rumbled in the sky again, and Jongho turned his attention to the beige clouds above.

“I guess we should go over there and take shelter before it rains too hard.” Jongho raised his arms as if to take Yeosang into them but lowered them when he realized… Yeosang was kind of like Seonghwa’s lifeline right now. He was the reason Seonghwa used magic—and if he was feeling anything negative about doing so, having Yeosang near would remind him of why it was important that he had used his magic.

The talk about what had happened could come later. Hehetmon crawled up to cling onto Jongho’s shoulder, its little face worried and fretting over Yeosang. Jongho had almost forgotten that the creature had seen Yeosang in pain. And now he wasn’t waking up at all.

“There, there, Hehet.” Jongho patted the flower atop the creature’s head. “Yeosang will be okay. I promise.”

“Hehet miss Yeosang.” Its little voice pouted, and Jongho only smiled. Yeah, he missed him too. But he needed the rest if it was something butterfly related. Maybe Jongho was biased, but he always wanted Yeosang talking and laughing next to him.

“Come on.” Hongjoong’s voice filled his ears and, like a moth to a flame, all of them began to make their way through the dust covered world to where the still sturdy building was. It had begun to drizzle rain as they neared it, and something seemed… off. But it wasn’t until they were completely under the bottom of the building and it began to rain harder that they realized just what had happened to this world.

A smell began to fill the air around them that reeked of death itself. As all turned their heads to look out at the rain, they noticed—the rain wasn’t water. No, water did not smell, and water certainly didn’t melt the ruins of skyscrapers in the horizon. No, this was… _acid_. The world was raining _acid_ around them.

“Oh my god.” Seonghwa’s quiet voice finally spoke up, and Jonho turned to see that he had found a smooth concrete slab to lay Yeosang’s sleeping body on. He probably needed to rest his arms for a little bit. “The world is melting. Their world is… actually melting.”

Now that Jongho looked around, he noticed they weren’t technically on the ‘ground floor’ of this building. Instead, they were… surrounded by beams of the infrastructure. They were technically below ground, but because of the erosion, they were on the new first level of the building.

“How could this building still stand?” Jongho walked to the edge of where the ceiling was, eyes wide as he watched the corrosive rain melt away all that surrounded them. “How is it any different?”

“Magic, I’m guessing.” Hongjoong joined him at the edge, arms folded tight over his chest. “Hehetmon, do you feel anything?”

The little creature lifted its head and squeezed its eyes tight. “Hehet can barely feel a butterfly! Something is around it!”

“They’re probably keeping it safe so that no one can take it. That magic might be the only thing keeping the building up.” Seonghwa’s airy voice spoke a little more confidently as he moved around the concrete slab Yeosang slept on, sitting himself down on the hard edge as he gazed out to the melting world around them. “Actually, that’s the only answer there could be. The butterfly is here, somewhere. Nothing else could keep this building standing.”

Jongho would gladly stay inside the safe building than to go outside in the literal acid rain and have his skin melt off. He gave a little shake, discomfort shaking his nerves, before he looked over to their leader. Hongjoong was still standing next to him, jaw clenched and eyes sharp as he looked around them.

“Hyung.” Jongho began slow, his hand reaching for his sword at his side. “We should look around. See if we notice anyone or anything.”

Jongho was unsure if Seonghwa would use his magic again. He was unsure if he was feeling immense guilt over it and would ever use it again with them. Meaning he and Yeosang would both be in danger if they were attacked. It would be better for them to meet whoever was in the building and talk to them before being found.

“… Sure.” Hongjoong’s body turned from the dosplay before them, but it was a few more seconds before his head turned too. “See if there’s anyone around here that can explain what’s going on to us.”

Jongho only watched from the side at the look Hongjoong and Seonghwa shared. Hongjoong’s eyes were pointed, sharp still, and Jongho watched as Seonghwa’s eyes widened before Seonghwa looked down at Yeosang. It was silent for a few moments, and no one made the move to speak first.

“He and I will be here. Hehetmon can go with you.” The little creature had been clinging to Jongho anyways, frowning at the prospect of having to leave Yeosang. “If anything happens, Hehet can get you out of there.”

Ah, right. That was fair enough. Jongho’s eyes flickered over to Hongjoong, who said nothing, only narrowed his eyes more. He wondered… what was going through his head. Jongho wanted them to make up, but he knew it wasn’t his job to be the mediator—he knew he had to stay out of it. Still, he wanted them happy again.

“Let’s go, Jongho.”

“Ah—” Jongho’s attention turned back to the leader and out of his own thoughts. “Right.”

So, just like that, with no real parting, plan, or anything… they walked out of the room and into the rest of the building.

Jongho was unsure what the building may have… been. Because there were no decorations, no furniture, no indication of anything. They walked into a large, open area, that was nothing but bare concrete. There was dust, yes, and steel beams that had fallen were scattered on the floor, but that was all.

It was dark, the air warm and stuffy, and Jongho noticed a large, spiraling staircase in the corner. Might as well start there. He silently pointed it out to Hongjoong, who, sword in hand, nodded along. Hehetmon stayed clinging onto Jongho’s shoulder.

The staircase, as anything else in the concrete and steel building, was sturdy. Actually, Jongho noticed it wasn’t as dusty as he would have expected it to be. Meaning there were _definitely_ people here, and they definitely used it. He only raised his defenses higher.

They ascended in silence, their boots softly hitting the concrete of the stairs, until they reached what was technically the first floor—the floor that one would enter on, was it not for the erosion outside making it the second floor.

Much like the lower level, there was essentially… nothing. This time, though, there were windows on the walls. Windows Jongho noticed were covered with makeshift curtains, sewn from scraps of fabric. There was less dust on the floor. Someone was surely here.

As they looked around, Jongho noticed in the barren room that there was no staircase that they could see—there was no way that one could easily get to the next floor. He remembered the elevator from Felix and Seungmin’s place in Tokyo, and there was a shaft that was empty and to the side that may have once housed one.

“Be careful. We don’t know what could be happening anywhere else in here. I don’t have a good feeling.” About the time those words left Hongjoong’s mouth, Jongho heard the sound of a band snapping.

And then he felt it.

The youngest let out a shriek as he dropped to the ground, seconds before Hongjoong hoisted him over his shoulder and ran behind one of the support pillars. Jongho felt something warm begin to drip from his leg, and it was then he noticed the arrow that had pierced his leg. He heard more noises, more arrows hitting the pillar and the ground near them. Hongjoong was using his sword to deflect any that got too close.

“Jongho’s hurt!” Hehetmon’s little voice whined, crawling into his lap. “Jongho’s hurt!”

Where were they coming from? Jongho’s breathing quickened, body going into shock as he tried to pull the arrow out. As tough as the youngest was, he was still only human. And he whimpered and whined as he tugged at the arrow in his leg.

“Don’t pull it out yet! You’ll bleed more!” Hongjoong licked his lips, his trained eyes scanning the angle from where the arrows were coming. “Where the hell do you guys get off shooting shit at innocent people?! We’re just trying to figure out where the hell we are!”

The arrows did not stop, but Jongho _did_ get to look up and see, from the shadows of the tall ceiling, the images of cloaked people with bows sitting still on support beams. He couldn’t see their faces, but he could see bodies. He could see shadowed figured moving around, bows drawn as they fired at them.

Suddenly, there was an arrow being shot right at Jongho, and in his frightened state he jolted—forgetting the hand that was holding onto the arrow in his leg. In a fit, he screamed and pulled it out, and blood began to pour down his leg faster than ever. Panicking was only making his heart beat faster, and the blood did not show signs of stopping.

“Shit!” Hongjoong hissed under his breath, and little Hehetmon continued to whine. “Too much going on for Hehetmon to get us out of here safely, shit, shit!”

Jongho could feel warmth washing over him, a warmth that dissolved the panic in his body, until he blacked out entirely from blood loss.

~xXx~

**_Please, I can hear you, can’t you hear me?_ **

****

**_It’s been so long, please, please!_ **

****

**_I can feel you, can you feel me?_ **

****

**_How long must I stay like this?_ **

****

**_Help me!_ **

~xXx~

Seonghwa had heard the commotion after a while. He had been lost in thought, blanking out as he held Yeosang’s head in his lap. The prince had still not woken, was still sleeping peacefully, and there was no foul magic he could detect. Yeosang’s body was simply trying to catch up with the butterflies.

He had been thinking of Hongjoong, of the lifetime ago it felt like he had kissed him last. He was still beating himself up over it all—but he missed it. He missed the intimacy, missed having someone so genuinely care for him the way Hongjoong had. No one had cared for him in such a way.

One person had. But that person had been taken from him too young.

His hand curled into the fabric of Yeosang’s clothing, his mind running a thousand miles a minute, until he finally blinked out of it. He couldn’t divulge himself in his own memories, couldn’t allow himself to cry over things he should have never allowed himself to have in the first place. He was not a man worthy of love or intimacy.

He hadn’t planned on living this long anyways.

Seonghwa had never put himself out of danger’s way. He was never trying to intentionally kill himself, no, but he… did nothing to stop it. Hongjoong had mentioned that to him. He was right. He didn’t try to flee from the holds of death. But he was too cowardly to take his own life.

Between Hyungsik and _him_ , the only one who had cared for him, Seonghwa’s life had been nothing but painful. Mind-numbing as he poured magic and knowledge into his body, tried to become someone worthy, but even his magic only wrought trouble. He’d realized early in his life that he was nothing but a burden.

But he had to live long enough to switch places. Just until he could find the magic that would allow it.

Seonghwa’s attention was turned the second he had a rock move behind him. In an instant, he had jumped up, throwing himself in front of the concrete slab that Yeosang slept on, one arm extended to protect Yeosang, the other hand raised to the source of the sound. Despite everything, despite the pain he felt and the worry in his heart, Seonghwa had decided to use his magic at any point to protect Yeosang.

The hooded figure reached for something at their side and Seonghwa’s jaw clenched, his body tense and ready to jolt—until a familiar blond head poked around the cloaked figure and quickly moved to stand between both Seonghwa and the figure.

“It’s fine! It’s fine, don’t fucking attack him, okay? This is the guy we said was with us.” Hongjoong sounded… calm around this figure? What, or rather who, had that found? “Both of them are. The prince is the one asleep.”

The tall figure nodded, and it was then Seonghwa noticed the figure release its grip on a rather large knife strapped to their side.

“The prince is in here?” Another cloaked figure entered, but the hood was immediately dropped. Ah—Seonghwa recognized this person. It was Minhyuk. From Hwandon and Seven Seas Port. “Alright. We’ll take him upstairs with Jongho.”

“Jongho?” Seonghwa’s head turned curiously, but his body was still tense as he watched Minhyuk and the other cloaked figure walked past him and to where their sleeping prince was. Hongjoong was still so casual, arms just folded over his chest as he watched.

“Yeah. He got hit with an arrow and passed out on me. Screaming and cursing them out wasn’t the way I planned on talking to them, but it’s fine. Jongho is being cared for. Medical supplies are limited, but there’s enough. They’re going to take Yeosang up to the others here.” Hongjoong wiped at his nose, shoulders shrugging loosely.

Minhyuk motioned for the larger cloaked figure to pick Yeosang up and it did, with ease. “Shownu is stronger than me, he’s got this. Kihyun will take good care of him.”

Seonghwa wasn’t so trusting. He was never so trusting. He was watching men he barely knew in this world lift Yeosang up and carry him away. But when he turned to follow them, Hongjoong, facing away from him, merely stretched his arm out and stopped him.

“Hongjoong—stop, what are you doing? Aren’t we going with them?” Panic rose in his voice. He wanted to be there to make sure Yeosang was fine.

“No.” Hongjoong lowered his arm, his body turning this time to face him. There was a fire, a sternness in Hongjoong’s eyes that he hadn’t seen in many, many worlds. It made Seonghwa’s heart drop. It made anxiety trickle into his veins. “We’re going to talk, you and I. Because I don’t know what’s been up your ass, but I’m tired of you ignoring me.”

“I’m not—I’m not ignoring you.” Liar. Absolute liar. “I’m focused on helping Yeosang right now.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes, still making no move to remove himself from Seonghwa’s personal space. He was so close to him, right in front of him, so close it was almost hard for Seonghwa to look right at him.

“No, you’re hyper focusing on Yeosang because you’ve been _weird_ since we were on that ship. I kissed you like I’ve done a million times at this point and you turned away from me the very next day.” Hongjoong wasn’t someone to be so open about his emotions and it startled Seonghwa. “You ever stop and think about how it makes me feel? You just pulling away from me after everything we’ve been through?”

By now, Hongjoong had folded his arms over his chest again, and each time Seonghwa moved back—he moved forward. Until the backs of Seonghwa’s calves had collided with the concrete block that Yeosang had laid on.

“That isn’t true—Hongjoong, maybe you’re overreacting to us.” There it was. The old Seonghwa. The Seonghwa who spoke so smoothly, lying so easily, with fake smiles galore. Perhaps it had just taken a little fear to bring him back.

Yes, it was easier this way. It was easier to pretend he didn’t care. He had gotten to close, hadn’t he? It’s why he ran. Because he was—

“Silly Hongjoong, we weren’t anything, were we? We were just having fun.” Seonghwa didn’t even looking at Hongjoong as he slipped himself away from him, walking himself quickly towards the opening towards the staircase. He felt anxious, jittery, he had to run and anchor himself to Yeosang—occupy himself away from Hongjoong.

Seonghwa hadn’t expected the hand on his shoulder, nor had he expected to have his back slammed against the wall next to the opening where a door must have once been. He let out a sharp gasp in surprise, opening his eyes from where they had shut when his back hit the wall, only to see Hongjoong looming in front of him. Their noses nearly touching, and the hand that had shoved him pressed firmly to the wall.

Seonghwa had no choice but to look into Hongjoong’s eyes. He had no choice but to see how cold and angry they were, no choice but to see the glimmers of fury in his frown and the… the pain that he was putting him through echoing off of every part of his body. Seonghwa had hurt him. He had hurt him deeply.

“You really are a damn coward, aren’t you? You must be a coward if you can stand there and lie to me like that. You and I both know what we were. You know how you felt, don’t you look at me and say it was nothing! You’re a fool if you think what we had was anything other than **_love_**.” Hongjoong pulled himself back, but his gaze didn’t flicker for a moment. He was still angry. “Lie to yourself all you want. I don’t care anymore.”

And, with those words, Hongjoong turned and left to the staircase once more. Seonghwa stood, frozen, until his knees gave out and he collapsed onto the floor.

Seonghwa was… laughing. Holding his face in one of his hands, one arm wrapped around his knees, just laughing. Because he was a fool, yes. He was a huge fool, lying to himself, letting himself get too close to Hongjoong before it was too late. Because he was falling in love—no, he had _fallen_ in love, hadn’t he?

Hongjoong had broken down every wall he had put up for _centuries_.

Hongjoong had made him feel safe, had proven time and time again in Hwandon that he would care for him, be there for him, had seen him at such a low point and stayed. He had made him laugh in every world, teasing him had been so fun and so easy… and Seonghwa had gotten so close and fallen so quickly he hadn’t even noticed.

But that was over now, wasn’t it? Hongjoong was furious at him. Hongjoong didn’t care anymore. Because Seonghwa messed up again.

Now, tears began to mingle with his laughter. Streaming down his cheeks, into his open mouth, Seonghwa broke open for the first time in a long time. But he was alone, like always.

“What am I supposed to do without you?”

~xXx~

**_Please, I can’t give up. Not now._ **

****

**_You’ve given me hope, hope!_ **

****

**_I haven’t felt hope in so long._ **

****

**_Please, please come find me!_ **

****

****

**_Set me free!_ **

****

****

~xXx~

“So, this is the basin?”

After leaving Seonghwa, Hongjoong had travelled back upstairs to the infirmary to check on Yeosang and Jongho. The infirmary was as barren as the rest of the building, but there were some beds there, ones that made Hongjoong think that perhaps this building was… an apartment building or hotel or something before.

On one large bed, Yeosang and Jongho had been placed side by side by Hongjoong’s request to Kihyun and Hyungwon. He had told them it would be good for them to stay close to one another, that waking up to the other beside them would bring them comfort. They complied, and the two were sleeping.

Jongho, due to his injury, was developing a fever. As concerned as Hongjoong was, it was Hyungwon who assured him they could easily handle this. Despite not knowing that world’s Hyungwon, he knew ones from previous worlds. And he did like him well enough. So, he left the kids in his care, still not sure where Seonghwa was, and accepted Shownu and Minhyuk’s offer to see the water basin.

“Yeah, this is our water.” Minhyuk grinned and opened his arms wide as he stood in front of it. The basin was this huge room underground, perhaps two stories deep, surrounded by concrete pillars, and was as big as the entire floor. It was… huge. Like an entire ocean in the basement below them.

“And it’s never gone empty?” Hongjoong walked to the side of the basin and knelt down, his eyes scanning the way the water… glowed? It was so blue, so bright, like there was some sort of light illuminating it from below. “How?”

Hongjoong heard footsteps walking behind him and turned his head enough to see Shownu and Wonho both walking up.

“There’s a magic down there we’ve never seen.” Shownu spoke coolly, and Hongjoong figured he was their leader in this world as well. “Bound in chains. Something powerful we hope will never awaken. However, that magic means the clean water that was down here has never run empty. We gather it to shower, cook, drink, whatever we need. We’re thankful for it.”

“Has no one tried to take it from you?”

Wonho laughed suddenly, sharply, and nodded his head as he stepped up beside his leader. “Of course. People are sparse in this area now, but everyone knows we’ve somehow all stayed pretty healthy and clean- they know we have water somehow. We’re happy to help if they exchange any goods that we can use. We’re not heartless. Two of our other members should be back from an exchange any time now. Some travelers had some food, said they would hand it over if we could give them enough water to last them a little while. We said sure.”

Ah, Jooheon and Changkyun, Hongjoong remembered them. Made sense. They were good guys, but Hongjoong figured if a lot of people suddenly started taking the water… they had no guarantee it would continue refilling itself. They wanted to help, sure, but they had to make sure the water stayed. He didn’t blame them for being concerned about one another before anything else.

The magic underneath of the water did concern him, though. Hehetmon had said nothing about a butterfly, but Hongjoong had learned pretty early on that those butterflies could do a lot more than just hold memories. But he’d have to see what Hehetmon was thinking.

“They might already be back and upstairs. We should get you and your friend somewhere to sleep as well.” Shownu nodded towards Hongjoong, who rose from where he had been kneeling down.”

“If it’s fine, I think it would be best that we stay in the infirmary with the kids. Makes me feel better to be there to watch over them.”

The others just nodded at him and led him back out and back up to the infirmary. Hongjoong learned that the stairs didn’t lead up to the top floors because they had been broken and damaged. Instead, the elevator shaft was the only way to get to the floor where they lived. There was a ladder in there, and as Minhyuk explained, it was easy to stop attacks from the elevator shaft. Just stand there, shoot, and watch them fall.

Gruesome, but effective. Perhaps the old Hongjoong would have laughed and agreed, talked about how the bodies fell. The new Hongjoong was… more sympathetic.

When they arrived at the infirmary, the kids were still sleeping, Hehetmon between them, and Seonghwa had made it up alongside Jooheon and Changkyun who explained they found him wandering the main level alone and had nearly attacked when Seonghwa explained who he was.

Hongjoong didn’t make eye contact with him. Seonghwa didn’t even try.

“So, you never told us exactly why you’re here.” Kihyun was leaning up against one of the tables with Hyungwon by his side as the rest filtered through the boxes upon boxes of food that Jooheon and Changkyun had brought back. “Or for how long.”

“We’re from another world. Passing through. It’s a long story.” Hongjoong shrugged and sat himself on the bed opposite to the one the kids were laying on. “Essentially the prince has some scattered memories that look like butterflies and we’re looking for it.”

There was… a very long pause from the two listening to him. Hyungwon stared blankly, but Kihyun was far worse at hiding his feelings. He looked at Hongjoong as though he had three heads.

“… Memory butterflies.”

“That’s what I said.”

Kihyun scoffed, to which Hyungwon just hit him in the arm lightly. “Come on, memory butterflies? Seriously? You can’t _possibly_ believe them!”

“I don’t have a reason to believe them or not believe them, you ass. Be nice.”

“Hey! I’m older than you, be nice!”

“Can you two stop fighting for, like, two seconds?” Minhyuk walked over and hit both of them on the arm. “We owe them for hurting that kid. Let them stay here for a little bit and do whatever, they’re not threatening us.”

While Kihyun and Minhyuk bickered, Hongjoong let his eyes fall to Jongho. They had wrapped his shivering body up, and he could see a wet cloth had been placed on his sweating forehead. He had to believe Jongho would be fine. If the fever didn’t break in a few days, they could contact Wooyoung and see what he could do.

A while later, when a simple dinner of rice and some canned vegetables had been eaten, Hongjoong found himself alone on one of the infirmary beds next to the kids while Seonghwa was off to one side of the room alone, sitting up and staring out into the night.

Hongjoong wanted to apologize for what he said. Because he had been angry, he had let his old self out. He had let out the self that betrayed all of the things he had said and done for Seonghwa. He probably didn’t make him feel safe anymore. He had probably ruined the happiness them.

Fuck, love sucked.

Hongjoong had never even believed he would fall in love. But Seonghwa happened. Seonghwa had crashed through his walls, wormed his way into his heart, and now Hongjoong wanted to do nothing more than to protect him from the entire world. But he had ruined his chances to do that, hadn’t he?

He didn’t know how much longer they would be on this journey. He had no idea how long they had together or what would happen to them once it was all over. He had to fix them. Because he… wanted Seonghwa to come home with him when it was all over.

For now, he would try to rest. Tomorrow, they would look for the butterfly.

~xXx~

**_Please, please, can you hear me?!_ **

Hear you… I can hear you?

**_Please, it’s been so long, please come save me!_ **

Save you… where are you?

**_I can’t take this, I can’t do this!_ **

I can feel you… it feels like I’m closer…

**_Please, save me!_ **

~xXx~

Yeosang awoke in front of a pool of water.

The prince had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. The voice, the energy, it had called to him when he slept… but where was it? It was a person, he knew that much, but where were they hiding? They felt so close to him, how had he gotten there? Had he slept walked his way there?

Yeosang walked slowly to the edge of the water, settling down on his knees so he could look into the endless blue water. In such a scary, concrete place, such a beautiful pool of water existed? Was the person calling to him… part of this water?

The prince reached a hand into the cool water and, as soon as he touched it, a force from nowhere yanked him under.

A flurry of bubbles surrounded him, and he clamped both hands over his mouth in fear. He couldn’t fight back, the force was too great, he was going to drown—

The force stopped in front of a sphere of water within the water itself, swirling intensely around a… cocoon of some kind. Yeosang noticed then, as he looked over the sphere of water, that he wasn’t drowning. He could… breathe? He was still breathing, despite being completely submerged.

**_Help me!_ **

His head shot up at the sudden voice filling his head, noticing some sort of glow coming from the cocoon in the sphere. The voice was coming from there, wasn’t it? Yeosang wasn’t sure if he could talk, but he tried to move himself closer, to press his hands against the swirling sphere of water, to rest his forehead against it and will himself to focus on the voice.

**_I’m so tired, please, help me!_ **

A flash of light, and then Yeosang was inside the sphere himself.

“What—” He spoke without thinking, but realized much like breathing, he was fine somehow. He was inside the sphere with the cocoon.

Around the sphere, the ground, the walls all began to rumble. The water on the outside began to act erratically, moving in all directions at once—and Yeosang was afraid. For the first time during their journey, he was truly, truly afraid.

“Seonghwa-hyung! Hongjoong-hyung! Jongho—someone, please, get me out!” The voice had stopped. The voice had stopped, and Yeosang’s voice was drowned out by the sounds of rushing water around him. Even he could barely hear his own voice.

His hands slammed against the sphere containing him as hard as he possibly could go, but it was no use. The magic holding him there was too strong, and he had no way to get out.

Surely, surely someone would come for him.

Right?

~xXx~

“The water! Everyone up, the basin is beginning to lose water!”

Seonghwa hadn’t really slept much, was in a light state of sleep, when he heard Wonho’s voice echoing in the infirmary. He jolted up about the same time as Hongjoong, right to his feet, and went right to—

Yeosang was gone.

“Hongjoong. Hongjoong, Yeosang isn’t here— Hehetmon, where is he?” Seonghwa reached for the creature, who was furiously walking around the bed like it was looking for their prince.

“He was here! Hehet didn’t feel him leave!” How, how could the creature not feel Yeosang get up? Jongho was still asleep, still feverish, but they had to go find Yeosang. He would be okay on his own for a little while. He had his sword on him still, he would be okay.

When Seonghwa turned, Hongjoong was already strapping his sword to his side, his face hard and concerned as he stormed out of the room without a word. Seonghwa could only sigh, pick Hehetmon up, and hurry with him to the elevator shaft. Seonghwa feared the worst when it came to Yeosang, and knowing the water was draining… only made it worse.

By the time they made it to the basin, everyone else had already gathered, and… they were right. The basin was draining. But it wasn’t just draining, no, it was… moving. Of its own accord. Seonghwa, curious, walked to the edge so he could get a better look at it.

“What are we going to do?!” Changkyun, the youngest if Seonghwa remembered correctly, walked up beside where Seonghwa was with Shownu right behind him. “We aren’t going to survive out here without this basin!”

“I know, I don’t… I didn’t think there were drains. This wasn’t a basin originally; it was just a basement. I didn’t know there were doors or anything here. I… I have no plan for this.” Shownu sounded defeated. Seonghwa felt for him, truly, because he could empathize with feeling useless to those you cared about.

However, this wasn’t just a case of water finally draining.

“The water is moving itself away. It’s moving on its own accord.” Seonghwa could feel the magic radiating from the water. What type of magic… the water was moving so quickly he couldn’t focus on it to pinpoint exactly what it was. At his words, Wonho came up to his other side.

“So, what, it’s magically moving itself away? Why now?”

“I don’t… know. But I think I can see something down there.” The water was almost entirely drained, moving faster than one’s eyes could even watch, until—there. In the middle of this basin, at the very bottom, was a sphere of water with something inside of it. It was probably where the magic was held, and something was happening inside of it that they needed to figure out—fast.

Despite everything, despite the pain, anger, sadness they felt, Hongjoong and Seonghwa’s eyes met and both of them knew what they needed to do. Yeosang was probably down there, and they needed to help.

With the basin drained, they could see now the number of columns and pillars that had broken and piled up along the edges. Just enough for them to slide down. They told the others to stay watch up top, and to only come down if they asked. Because Seonghwa could handle the magic, and Hongjoong could handle the fighting.

It took some time to get to the bottom, both of them trying to not slip, but once they reached the bottom Seonghwa saw him: Yeosang. Yeosang was in the sphere with something else behind him, and he looked like he was yelling for them.

“Okay, it’s okay—Sangie, I’ll get you out, okay?” Seonghwa finally felt the magic. It was a binding magic. Whatever was in there with Yeosang, it had been bound and held there—and perhaps with Yeosang inside, that binding magic had been breached somehow. And so, the water moved away.

“Fuck, how did he manage to get in there?” Hongjoong attempted to pierce the water with his sword, only for the sword to clang back at him. “Okay, well, that throws a problem into my plan.”

“No, it’s magic, you can’t pierce your way through it. I can work a hole into the spell and get him out, but it just might take time—”

**“Stand aside.”**

Both men turned to see Jongho standing there. Jongho?

“Jongho, when did you—” Seonghwa took a step towards the younger, but Hongjoong stopped him with a hand against his chest. What was going on?

“I’ve seen that look before. I don’t like it.” Hongjoong seemed… angry? “He did this back when we were in that shitty puzzle thing in the library. I don’t like it.”

When Seonghwa looked back, he allowed himself to get a good look at Jongho. Hongjoong was right. Something was off. The boy had his sword out, gripped tightly into his fist, his stance rigid and… how was he not in pain from how stiff he was standing? But when their eyes met, cold dread filled Seonghwa’s body. And he felt the magic.

Over Jongho’s eye. A magic that was all too familiar to him.

“Jongho, can you hear me?” Was all Seonghwa said. The boy said nothing, his cold expression never changing, as he walked up towards them. “Hongjoong. This is bad.”

“No shit it’s bad.” Seonghwa heard the sound of Hongjoong unsheathing his own sword, the sound of gravel digging under his boots as he changed his stance. “He was on our side last time, I guess. I don’t think I can say the same for him now.”

No, he wasn’t going to be on their side. Because if Seonghwa’s hunch was correct, he was going to damn well do whatever it took to get to Yeosang. But at the same time, despite feeling that magic, he didn’t want to fight Jongho. Because he knew that the body would fight till it died. And Seonghwa wasn’t going to let that man take anything else from him.

“ **I said to stand aside**.” Jongho’s voice was so _emotionless_. This booming, commanding, empty voice was so unlike the sweet boy that gave gummy smiles and blushed when Yeosang looked his way. This was a monster. This wasn’t their Jongho.

But it was, wasn’t it?

“Jongho, I can get Yeosang out. You just need to give me time—” Seonghwa, keen as he was, still barely missed Jongho’s sudden strike. Hongjoong moved swiftly behind him, trying to get the up on the younger, but his reflexes were superhuman—there was no way to get the upper hand on someone who acted out of human possibility.

“Seonghwa, can you try to get him out while I calm our little rager down?!” Hongjoong went for the boy’s legs, but Jongho jumped closer to the sphere, out of the way, and swung his sword at Seonghwa’s head.

The mage managed to duck and roll back, at least. Hongjoong was quick on his feet, quick to run over and get Jongho’s attention so Seonghwa could get back onto his feet. But oh, the sounds of metal clanging against one another was deafening.

Hongjoong’s stamina was admirable. It was times like this, watching Hongjoong fight someone being controlled with other worldly power, that he was a trained palace guard. That he was someone trained to fight until their body suddenly gave out. Much like he protected his Prince Yunho, Hongjoong was protecting Prince Yeosang.

While they fought, Seonghwa turned to look at Yeosang. The poor boy looked _horrified_. He was banging on the sphere, and Seonghwa could now faintly hear him calling out to Jongho. Maybe—maybe if he could get Yeosang out, let Jongho hear his voice, it would calm him down. It would make him come back to himself and fight what was happening, right?

“Shit—Seonghwa, watch out!” Seonghwa turned in time to push himself back away from the sphere and back away from Jongho’s blade. The younger’s head snapped over to him, and Seonghwa managed for a split second to raise his hands and push up a magical guard in front of himself. Just a glowing shield, a simple spell, but enough to give Hongjoong time to come and rip the boy away from him.

“I know he’s not himself, but don’t kill him!” Hongjoong had thrown the boy’s body back against one of the concrete walls, but he acted… fine. Jongho simply stood and charged back at him. Seonghwa ran for Yeosang while Hongjoong met Jongho in the middle of the empty basin.

“Should we call the others?!” Hongjoong’s voice was tired. But his body still worked in overdrive.

“No! No, keep them back! We don’t need more casualties right now!” Because Seonghwa knew that man would keep them around as long as he could for the journey. But casualties in another world meant nothing to him. Seonghwa wasn’t about to allow nonsensical bloodshed to pour into their lives.

When he ran back to Yeosang, he could tell even from the water that the boy was crying. Their eyes met, and Seonghwa wished he could take the fear and pain from them. He had to get him out.

“I’ve got you, Yeosang. I’ll get you out, I’ll fix this, I promise.” Okay, now he just needed to focus. Focus on the magic, focus on breaking it.

It was an old, old spell. But the spell itself didn’t feel as though it had been performed more than a hundred years before. In magic terms, a very recent spell. That might make it stronger—but Seonghwa was confident with a little focus, he could do it. He had to trust that Hongjoong would take care of Jongho for just a little longer.

Counter spells, ones to aid in disaster, was something Seonghwa had taught himself very early on. His magic had been considered destructive, and being able to fix his messes was something he took pride in. Or so he told himself.

Seonghwa had placed his hands on the water, muttering incantations under his breath, so focused on hurrying that he hadn’t heard or felt Yeosang banging on the sphere. He hadn’t heard Hongjoong’s yelling. He didn’t know until it was too late.

Until Jongho’s sword pierced his stomach. Straight through.

Adrenaline fueled his body, leaving him numb to the pain until Jongho twisted the sword inside of him.

A hand came up to his eye, and oh, even in his fear Seonghwa knew that symbol. The same one in his palm as the one on his eye. And he was useless to stop Jongho from stealing the source of his magic. His blue eyes, which contained all of his powers. Jongho pulled the magic from his left eye until he had the crystal in his hand.

Seonghwa heard Jongho swallow it. He felt the boy’s presence build. And he screamed at the top of his lungs when Jongho pushed the sword even deeper inside of him, his new magic and Seonghwa’s blood on his blade piercing through the sphere to let Yeosang free.

Seonghwa screamed louder, the sound ripping from his throat, as Jongho yanked the sword back and kicked his fallen body out of the way.

And then, nothing.

~xXx~

Hongjoong had to act quick.

Jongho wouldn’t hurt Yeosang. He just wouldn’t. So he ran for Seonghwa’s fallen body as it bled out onto the ground, hauled him up into his arms, and jumped back a number of yards to get some ground.

The love of his life, bleeding to death in his arms.

“Shit, Seonghwa, can you hear me?! Hey—come on, stay with me!” But it was useless. Seonghwa’s eyes had shut, and his body was growing colder. His heart was beating, but the sound was growing fainter by the second. “Fuck—shit, fuck!”

Hongjoong looked up to see Jongho was looming over Yeosang now. Sword still in hand, dripping with Seonghwa’s blood, as Yeosang begged him to stop. Fire burned in Hongjoong’s heart. He wasn’t about to let whatever the hell Jongho had become take Yeosang from him too.

Hongjoong pulled Seonghwa up and settled him as gently over his shoulder as he could, willing himself to ignore the wetness the other’s blood was making on his clothes. He had one free arm, and he was going to use it to fight. He wasn’t going to let whatever the hell came over Jongho destroy everything they’d worked for.

Hongjoong thought he would have somewhat of an upper hand, but as soon as he got close, Jongho turned his head and raised his sword to immediately counter Hongjoong’s swipe at him. This time, it was harder to fight back.

This time, when he fought, he had Seonghwa’s extra weight. He couldn’t move as fast. He only had one arm, and couldn’t use the other one to aid him in moving more swiftly. Jongho was going as fast and as hard as he could with his sword, and Hongjoong was truly, truly struggling to keep up.

“Snap out of it! Yeosang is fine, he’s out, snap out of it!” Hongjoong clenched his jaw as the boy… stayed quiet. Emotionless as he did everything in his power to, well, kill him. Jongho was really trying to kill him.

“Jongho, stop it!” Yeosang’s voice ran out, but Jongho didn’t even flinch. “Stop it, they’re just trying to help me like you are! What’s going on with you?!”

Yeosang stayed back, which Hongjoong was very grateful for. Meant it was easier to take care of Jongho and not worry about Yeosang getting hurt on accident.

Shit, it was hard, though. Because Hongjoong was unbalanced with Seonghwa’s weight as well, and Jongho fought him like it was child’s play for him. And it was, all things considered. Especially when Hongjoong tripped moving backwards, sword moving to the side as he lost his grip falling, and was left on his ass with Seonghwa bleeding in his arms.

Jongho pointed the sword right at his throat. By the time he would move and grab his own sword, Jongho will have killed him. And there was nothing he could do.

“Stop it!” Hongjoong watched Yeosang stand as Jongho’s sword got closer to his throat. He watched Yeosang, fear burning in his eyes, shaking fists clenched at his sides, take a step forward.

“I said… **_stop_**!”

And, Jongho stopped.

From behind Yeosang, from the cocoon that had dropped with him, came one of Yeosang’s butterflies. Fluttering over to him, the glowing butterfly pushed itself back into Yeosang’s chest—something that had never, ever happened before. They already found the butterfly, this fast? Suddenly, Yeosang began to glow a bright, brilliant white. And with that light emanating from him, Jongho… stopped.

And the light faded.

Jongho dropped his sword from his hand, stumbled back, and dropped to his knees. And silence filled the basin. Hongjoong’s breathing was all that echoed in his ears.

When Jongho’s head rose again, the red seal over his eye was gone. The emotion had come back to his face. And he looked more confused than Hongjoong had ever seen someone look before. And then he noticed Seonghwa in Hongjoong’s arms.

“Hyung—oh my god, oh my god what’s happening?! What happened to Seonghwa-hyung, where—” Jongho turned to Yeosang, who flinched and moved backwards under the boy’s gaze. “What… what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“You did my dirty work is what you did. Thank you.”

All heads looked up to see—Minho. It was the vampire again, the one that they had run into in Giverny Town. Floating down with Hehetmon behind him.

“What the hell do you mean?! You’re the one who made Jongho do that?!” Hongjoong watched the vampire bark out a laugh as he went right to the cocoon behind Yeosang. Ignoring the bloodshed and everything else around them.

“No, not at all. You’re on your own with your little wild animal. But you did find him for me.” One of Minho’s nails grew longer, cut a small slit into his wrist, and the vampire’s blood leaked onto the lock covering the cocoon. Something clicked, and then Minho used the same nail to pick the lock.

From inside the cocoon rose another figure. A taller, thinner figure, with long dark hair. Dressed similarly to Minho in all black, with a tattered black cloak wrapped around his shoulders. It was the brother that Minho had been fighting to find.

“Hyunjin. I came as soon as I felt your energy again.” The two embraced, and Hyunjin’s eyes fell to Yeosang.

“I felt the boy. He gave me enough energy to push a little further. You must have felt me when he slid through the spell and joined me. I apologize, Yeosang I believe is your name, but I needed your energy to get out to Minho.”

Hongjoong was at a loss for words. Except he damn well knew what he wanted to say, he didn’t give two shits about the vampire reunion, no, he looked right to Jongho.

“I don’t know what the hell to do with you. I have no damn idea—”

_“Maybe I can explain.”_

Fuck, another interruption?!

This time, it was Wooyoung from a projection coming from the flower on Hehetmon’s little head.

“I swear on my life, if one more person interrupts me, I’m going to lose my mind.” Hongjoong looked up to a smirking Wooyoung, and it was then he noticed San sitting right beside him, off to the side, occasionally moving into frame.

“Hehetmon called me when Jongho began attacking. Perhaps we should move to where Seonghwa can have some help, and I can explain everything to you.”

~xXx~

Jongho felt horrible. He had no idea what happened, but no one would look at him. No one trusted him. And he had even been tied to a chair when they reached the infirmary. Yeosang hadn’t once looked at him or tried to speak to him. Everyone had been distant.

But the thing was, Jongho remembered nothing. The last thing he remembered was being shot with an arrow and passing out from blood loss. Then, suddenly, he’s in this big empty basin, Yeosang is scared of him, Hongjoong hates him, and—and he doesn’t want to think about Seonghwa.

But he’s hoping that maybe Wooyoung can help explain.

The others had agreed to stay out of their way so they could speak to Wooyoung, so they were waiting outside the infirmary. Yeosang was sitting on the bed with Seonghwa, who was only deteriorating further. Kihyun and Hyungwon had sewn him up and done what they could, but the damage to his internal organs was… too much.

_“I think the best way to go about this is to be completely transparent. I’m unsure how much longer we’ll be able to speak.”_

“What does that mean?” Yeosang’s voice was the first to answer Wooyoung as he stroked Seonghwa’s hair.

Wooyoung gave a worried look, and Jongho could see San moving closer. _“There is a lot going on with this journey I cannot tell you yet. Not now. But know our conversations might be limited. For now, I can say one thing for sure: Jongho isn’t to be blamed.”_

Jongho wondered if anyone else heard him sigh in relief.

“Fine.” Hongjoong interrupted from where he stood leaning against a nearby window. “Then who is?”

_“The same man who stole your mother and village from you. The same man who took Seonghwa’s life and took Yeosang’s memories. The man you are journeying for right now. They are all the same person.”_

Everyone in the room went silent. Jongho’s gaze flickered between Wooyoung and Hongjoong. Hongjoong was silent, but his body language screamed anger.

_“I cannot explain yet why this is happening. There are things I need to prepare for before I do anything more. My own life is on the line as well, don’t think I’m taking my sweet time.”_ Wooyoung looked over towards Yeosang, who was still trying to comfort Seonghwa. _“But know your journey is coming to a very bitter end soon. Unless I intervene. Just give me time.”_

“… what do we do about Seonghwa? And the water?” Yeosang’s deep voice filled Jongho’s ears again, and he hated how pained it was.

“I’ll fill the water once more, please. It was my binding that created the phenomenon, it’s only right that I be the one to wish for it to be filled.” Hyunjin spoke up from the back of the room. He and Minho had come as well to speak to Wooyoung but had kept to themselves in a corner.

Hongjoong raised his hand, but his gaze never looked away from Seonghwa. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to save him.”

Wooyoung looked between the two for a moment, thinking, before a little smile came to his lips. _“Excellent. Your wishes are equal. In fact, I believe I have a very sudden solution for this all. Hyunjin wishes for the water, Hongjoong for Seonghwa. Hyunjin, your payment is to give some of your vampire blood to Seonghwa. As a mage, his lifespan is long, but his body cannot heal the way a vampire’s can. For fulfilling Hongjoong’s wish, Hongjoong will then go out and retrieve a magical object nearby from an old merchant’s house that can be charmed to fill the basin once more.”_

Turn Seonghwa into a vampire?

_“Hongjoong. There is a deep price for your wish, however.”_ Wooyoung’s eyes narrowed at him. _“He will need to feed, and you must mix your own blood in so he may only feed from you. As you know, it is not Seonghwa’s wish to live.”_

Jongho watched Hongjoong clench his jaw. “I know that.”

_“You must live with the price of knowing you’re going against his will. When you die, his body will live for a short time because of his magic, but he will perish along with you.”_

Jongho’s head was swimming, but Hongjoong seemed… determined. “Fine. Come on, Hyunjin, let’s get this over with.”

“No.” Minho stopped Hyunjin from stepping forward, and instead walked over to Hongjoong. “He’s tired and doesn’t need any of his blood spread around. I’ll do it for him.”

“If Minho gives Seonghwa his blood, I want to be the one who goes out for the object.” Yeosang spoke more firmly than Jongho had heard him in a long time.

Hongjoong sighed, body moving closer to the bed. “Yeosang…”

“No. I want to do this. The entire journey I’ve been so… useless to you. You taught me to use a sword, but still—I want to be able to help. I want to do something big and help.” For the first time since Jongho came to, Yeosang looked in his direction for the briefest moment. “Let me help fix things.”

One look to Wooyoung and one nod later, it was decided that the stand ins for the wishes would be fine.

Minho cut into his wrist before cutting into Hongjoong’s, then turned his wrist so the blood from it dripped into Seonghwa’s mouth. Everything was fine for a moment, Seonghwa swallowed and continued to breath shallowly—until his eyes opened wide and he began screaming.

Hongjoong reached down for him, and the turning vampire eagerly accepted having something to hold onto. Seonghwa had his hands gripping Hongjoong;s shoulders, head down as it… it sounded like he was being ripped apart. Had Jongho not been tied up, he would have covered his mouth and looked away.

“Is—is he okay?!” Hongjoong held onto Seonghwa’s arms, kept him steady until the shaking body moved and Seonghwa raised his head up to him. From where Jongho could see, Seonghwa had one blue eye, and one dark brown eye… that turned golden. Those eyes rolled back, and then Seonghwa fell to the bed again.

_“He’s fine. His body is working through the vampire blood and both healing and reworking itself. He’ll need time to rest, but he’ll be fine. He will heal, and he will live.”_ When Jongho looked back to Wooyoung, he noticed San had finally moved into frame, and had one of his arms around Wooyoung’s waist. Had they finally talked?

Yeosang brushed Seonghwa’s sweaty hair back before he got off the bed, leaving Hongjoong to take care of him, before… walking back to where Jongho was?

_“Yeah, Sangie, please untie him! I told you, he isn’t at fault. The seal over his eye activates when… well, it has a trigger. I’ll tell you later. But seriously, untie him.”_

Yeosang was careful and quiet as he undid the knots holding Jongho back, tossing the rope to the side as he backed away. “I just. Need a little bit of time right now. I watched you try to kill hyung. Both of them, but Seonghwa-hyung more specifically. I just need a little time, okay?”

“… Okay, Yeosang. That’s okay.” Was all Jongho could say, and Yeosang turned back to Wooyoung. What else could he possibly say back? ‘I’m sorry for stabbing Seonghwa and taking his magic, won’t happen again’?

“Where do I need to go, Wooyoung? What am I looking for?”

The elder grinned at Yeosang, and San just snickered.

_“Where to begin…”_

~xXx~

Yeosang was told that about a four hour walk away, there was an old house that had once belonged to a merchant. Acid had burned and destroyed much of the house, but because of the magical objects the merchant had obtained over their years, part of it still stood. He was told that it would be one of the only standing structures in the area.

Yeosang was told by Wooyoung and the other boys that the world had just gotten to a point where pollution had become so bad that the sky rained acid and threatened to destroy everyone and everything in its wake. They had been born into the world, but due to lack of food, people who killed for supplies, they had been abandoned by their families. They found one another traveling and found the basin together.

There were other groups around, but they all had a sort of… alliance, working together to survive, but fighting wasn’t uncommon. Yeosang noticed the other buildings that were almost all gone while he traveled, having to keep watch and be careful in case it started raining.

Most people lived underground, so he wasn’t surprised to not see people when he started walking.

He had brought a little food and some water with him. He even brought both his and Jongho’s sword, just in case. He had been told by Wooyoung that some of the objects that the merchant had acquired also… had curses. And he might have some issues and things he needed to fight.

Another thing Yeosang hadn’t expected was how much climbing he had to do. With so many buildings being destroyed, sometimes Yeosang had to climb over dilapidated buildings, and more than once… he fell. Hard.

Hours later, after having to stop while the sky rained acid, after falling hard so many times that his body was already bruising, but he pressed on. He could see the house in the distance.

He was being useful. He was finally feeling useful to his group.

Because Yeosang knew he was strong. He knew he was useful. Maybe he didn’t have all of his memories, maybe it was his memories that kept them on this journey, why Seonghwa got hurt and Jongho lost his mind—but he knew he was useful. He was going to damn well prove it to anyone he could. He was a prince, but he wasn’t gentle. Soft. He was trained, he was capable.

He just needed to press on.

-

The house was an old wooden house, and Yeosang knew that it had to be magic keeping acid from continuing to destroy it.

Speaking of magical items, where were they?

Wooyoung told him he was looking for a sort of decorative egg. It would be decorated with floral motifs with a band of gold leaves around its center. According to Wooyoung, it held just enough magic to produce the same energy his butterfly had. And that was something worth fighting for. For everyone in this world, he would go find it.

There was an ‘inside’ to the house, it had remnants of what was once someone’s life, but it was… barren. It made Yeosang sad to imagine. To think that this was once someone who had once been loved, been alive, breathing—perhaps through this egg, collected from their life’s work, would make their life live on in a meaningful way.

Yeosang had been wandering around the ruins, trying to find anything at all, when he found—aha! A cellar door in the back! Maybe they had an extra room for their valuable items they planned to sell?

Opening the door proved that there was not a staircase, but an old wooden ladder that led down. Alright, he could try that. The start down was fine, but about 6 feet from the bottom—the ladder broke, and Yeosang fell right onto his back. That was going to bruise.

“Shit.” He grumbled to himself, realizing then that there wasn’t… any light in the cellar. Great. There was a little bit of light coming from the cellar that pinpointed him into a sort of hallway, but from there, it was mostly… dark. How was he supposed to find anything?

That was until suddenly—there was a series of lanterns that turned on, illuminating the short hallway that led into a large cavern beneath the house.

Was Wooyoung sure it was just some random person who once lived there? And not a magical being of some kind?

The cavern reminded him a lot of the one from his memories of home. Except not as ornate and not under a temple. But it was broken in, large boulders scattered around, and he could hear the sounds of water dripping somewhere. And he noticed, scattered in broken shelves and pedestals, were objects.

He just had to find the egg.

Scanning through the objects was easy because of how specific of an object he was looking for. Some were jewelry pieces encrusted in jewels, there were plates, some sort of magical staffs, and… no monsters yet. Then again, he was being gentle, quiet, and wasn’t touching any of the objects yet.

There was something—there! Sitting on a pedestal low to the ground, off to the side, was an ornate egg. Just exactly what Yeosang was looking for. He hurried over, already undoing his bag, and reached for the egg with the gold band around its center. He lifted it, placed it into his bag, and turned to run back to the ladder and leave.

But that would have been too easy, right?

Because when Yeosang turned, those ‘boulders’ in the room began to move. Coming to life, the stone golems stood tall, and Yeosang realized they must have acted as a sort of security system for anyone who would come in and try to take something from their master. No, oh no, this was not just the abandoned house of a human merchant.

“I’m going to kill Wooyoung.”

Yeosang had no idea how to fight these things. He was afraid, yes, especially after watching one of the golems slam its fists into the ground where Yeosang had been standing and the ground immediately crumble away under its force. He had swords, how were swords supposed to help at all?!

He had no idea how long he ran from the golems. He tried making it to the ladder but was blocked every single time. He was hit, cut, and his body ached horribly, the monsters having fought and beat on him mercilessly—and he was ready to give up, to leave the egg and run, when he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

Standing above a broken rack of magical staffs was… himself? No, not him now. They were about the same age, but this version had shorter, darker hair. Dressed in all black, wearing clothes… a lot like the ones he remembered seeing in Tokyo. The other version pointed to one of the staffs, and Yeosang watched him disappear.

He was aching. He was bruised, bleeding, he had been given a black eye from a rock a golem hurled at him, but he will his body to get up and hurry to that staff. He wasn’t sure why, but he had to.

It was a simple staff. Shorter, chrome red, with a black ornate star sitting inside a circle at the very top. On either side were a set of large black wings, and at the bottom was a deep, beautiful red gem. Somehow, it felt… familiar. But not in a ‘lost memory’ way. Like his soul was connected to it.

_Touch them with it! I took care of the rest!_

His own voice filled his mind, but it wasn’t him who was thinking or speaking. Was it that other version of himself? What did he mean ‘took care of the rest’?

Regardless of it all, Yeosang moved with newfound energy, and like the voice told him, took a risk at getting close enough. The staff seemed to react to the golem in front of him, the top twisting and wings spreading out as the star in the center began to spin. He reached out and let the staff touch the golem and—it stopped.

The rock began to turn back into rock as something in the staff yanked the magic out of it. It turned right back into a normal… rock. So, this was how he was going to beat them!

Yeosang, adrenaline fueling his strength, repeated the process with every last golem until it was quiet once more in the room. Panting in the center of the room, Yeosang looked down at the staff before placing it back with the others.

“I have a feeling I’m not supposed to take you.” His rough voice murmured to the object, which he could have sworn must have heard him. “But thank you.”

Yeosang had to use some rocks and boxes to climb up to where the ladder wasn’t broken, and it took the rest of his strength, but he managed to pull himself out with the egg still in his bag. He had to get back. Because they had to move on now. The butterfly was secure, and they needed to get to where Wooyoung could speak to them.

-

It was getting dark outside. Incredibly so.

Yeosang, eye already hurting and blurry from being hit, was struggling to maneuver around the dark city. He wanted to take a break. He wanted to lay down and relax. He was out of water, out of the food he brought, and he was… tired. But he knew he had to get back and not worry everyone.

There was a light, and Yeosang looked to see that other version of himself again. Still wearing all black, standing in the distance, waving at him. And then he watched the other version run down the road and out of sight.

He followed the other version without thinking much about it. He had proven before he could trust him, given that he helped him defeat those golems and essentially saved his life. It hurt to move, he wanted to just relax, but he followed him. When he got to the end of the road, he saw him again, and just continued to follow behind him mindlessly.

It wasn’t until he saw the building in the distance that he realized his other version was helping lead him back.

When Yeosang was probably only twenty yards away, his other version turned to smile at him. He was so… different, but so familiar in the way he smiled and how soft his eyes were. Yes, his hair was short and dark, not long and blond, but he was still him.

“Thank you.” Yeosang spoke out to his other self, who didn’t respond, but waved goodbye with both of his hands before disappearing. Yeosang, tired as he was, dropped to his knees in relief. He was almost there.

“Yeosang!”

His head snapped up at the sound of his name coming from—Seonghwa! Seonghwa was awake and alright! From behind him Hongjoong and Jongho joined him at his sides, but Seonghwa ran out to where he was on his knees while the others stayed back.

The eldest dropped to his knees and pulled Yeosang into the most bone crushing hug he had possible ever received. And Jongho was quite the strong hugger. He didn’t have much energy in his body, but he managed to raise his arms and grip the back of Seonghwa’s shirt.

“They told me you went out alone—you didn’t even take Hehet with you, fuck, I was so worried something was going to happen.” Seonghwa pulled back to examine all of the bruises he could find, fingertips gently tracing the edges of the forming black eye Yeosang had. “Hyung couldn’t protect you like he promised.”

Yeosang smiled sweetly. Seonghwa really had changed so much since the start of their journey, hadn’t he?

“I’m okay, hyung. I’m sore and tired, but I’m okay.” About that time, Hongjoong walked up and knelt down beside of Seonghwa. He too started examining all of the bruises that Yeosang had accumulated.

“Let’s get you inside and cleaned up, okay? Get some food in you too. Where’s the egg?”

Yeosang pulled his bag around and handed it right on over to their leader, who was smiling much like a proud father.

“Knew you could do it, kid. Come on.”

Both hyungs helped him to his feet, offering their shoulders to carry his arms on, leaving much of his weight to them and not Yeosang himself. Having their help made walking the rest of the way so much easier.

Jongho didn’t come out, but when they reached the inside of the building, Yeosang stopped right in front of him. He had noticed Jongho hadn’t stopped watching him since he arrived back, and despite being concerned still about him snapping again, it hurt to see Jongho look so worried and anxious.

“I’m… glad you’re okay, hyung. Everyone really appreciates you going.” Jongho was so innocent. He really, really didn’t remember what happened, did he?

Yeosang could only smile. “Thank you. I’m glad I could help.”

Jongho’s little reassured smile was all Yeosang needed right now. They could talk about it later. For now, he really wanted to clean up and lay down.

He felt like the end was really near.

~xXx~

The egg was delivered to Wooyoung, who finished the spell on it that would refill the basin. Everyone stood at the edge of the basin as Hehetmon placed the egg onto the ground and flew back up as water began to fill the area once more. The wishes had been granted, and the vampires were the first to leave.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa helped make sure Yeosang was well rested before they decided to move on. The younger was bandaged, fed, slept, and cleaned up before they packed their things to leave.

Jongho’s fever had broken the second the seal over his eye had. No one mentioned it, because no one wanted to discuss the discomfort they were all feeling.

Seonghwa had fed from Hongjoong for the first time when he had woken up, before Yeosang returned, and the conversation between them… had been tense. Seonghwa refused to talk about being saved. He accepted that he was alright, accepted what happened, and had fed quietly before leaving Hongjoong for a little while.

They would work it out later, right? There would be time wouldn’t there?

Once everything was back to normal, the crew said goodbye to the others. Seeing them so many times throughout their journey… they were beginning to feel like part of their crew, in a strange way. They all wondered when they would see them again. Or if they would, given how cryptic Wooyoung had been.

Hehetmon opened its sharp eyes, the familiar “ _Kyu_!” ringing out, as the flower on its head began to spin. As always, the ground below them gave way for the dark portal, the tendrils of magic coming to twist and envelope them, pulling them in and twisting until they were gone.

In an instant, they were off to their next world.

As they waved goodbye, Seonghwa felt something off rising in him. Something anxiety inducing.

Something that made him cold all over.

And then, he saw it.

The palace foyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo boy, what a ride. This was a big chapter.
> 
> For anyone who knows Tsubasa and CLAMP animes... I bet you can guess what the next series is now! ;) I'll be, of course, changing it up a little bit to fit Ateez's style and aesthetic, but it's there! As well as adding my own spin, of course! Hence the staff being found in an underground cavern, hehe.
> 
> As well, the next chapter will be the Seonghwa chapter you've all been waiting for! Finally, I will have his entire story out there! It will be very action heavy, so anticipate it!!
> 
> Thank you all dearly for sticking around while I took a break. This fic is my baby, I can't wait to have it complete for all of you. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! See you soon!!


	13. World: Hiemis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but here is chapter 13!
> 
> This is the Seonghwa centered chapter you've been waiting for! Finally, the entire backstory! Therefore, the POV doesn't switch between all of them. Only Hongjoong and Seonghwa, and you'll see why!
> 
> We're reaching the end, it's exciting! Please enjoy and thank you so much for reading!! I'll put a few extra notes at the end!

~xXx~

Seonghwa knew the palace foyer like the back of his hand.

Why, why was he here? Why had they come—no. No, he had used his magic only once, there was no possible way the king had awoken and found him. Shit, this was why he refused to use it, this was why—

“Woah, what a nice place.”

Jongho’s voice brought him out of his head, and Seonghwa looked to see everyone was wandering around, their boots softly hitting the marble floor. The fountain was going, there was light in the room, and there was… peace. Seonghwa saw no blood. He heard no noises. But he felt the magical presence looming in every corner of the palace.

“We should—we should go.” Seonghwa’s voice cracked to life, his body moving towards the door yards behind them.

“Go?” Hongjoong fiddled with the tassels on one of the velvet curtains aimlessly, his head halfway turning towards Seonghwa as he spoke. But his eyes never rose to him. No, Hongjoong hadn’t looked at him since he’d first awoken and fed from him now that he was a vampire. They had exchanged no words. “We just got here. We aren’t going.”

Yeosang, holding Hehetmon in his arms, nodded. “There’s a butterfly, right Hehet?” The little creature cooed and quickly nodded its head. “Right, so we have to find it.”

“It could—it could be outside, you don’t know.” Panic was rising with every step back he took. He knew it was coming. He knew just exactly what had happened. And there was no longer a mark on his back that could help.

Jongho looked back at him, head tilted curiously. One of his eyes now blue from where his other self had drained half of Seonghwa’s magic. Seonghwa had not taken it back yet, no, and seeing his own eye sitting in someone else’s head… made him uneasy.

That man had already taken so much, and he had done everything correctly. Why was he being tortured so by him?

“Hyung, are you okay?” Jongho kept his distance still, as he had done since the incident, but the concern in his voice was genuine. “You look… upset?”

At that, all eyes, including Hongjoong’s turned to look at him. Everyone turning their backs from the fountain in the foyer, and Seonghwa found himself moving back even faster towards the door. Because he knew what this meant. He knew what was going to happen.

“I’m just—let’s look outside, alright? Perhaps the butterfly is outside?” Seonghwa’s body turned and he hurried the rest of the way to the door, hands gripping the iron handles, and pulled the doors open with all his might—only to be met with a swirling purple and black nothingness.

What?

**_“Oh, did you believe that I was going to give you a way out?”_ **

Hyungsik. King Hyungsik.

Seonghwa turned, blood running could through his veins, his eyes wide and terrified as he looked towards the king. He hadn’t seen the man since he trapped him months before. When their journey began.

He was still in his long robes. Long black hair, long black beard. His skin was… terrifyingly pale now, and his eyes were hollow and piercing as they looked down at them. He was standing beside the fountain, towards the back, with his arms crossed behind his back.

“Is that… Hyungsik?” Yeosang’s quiet voice whispered out, the acoustics of the room picking it up even louder than he spoke. “From Hwandon?”

It was the same soul, yes. But Seonghwa could say nothing. He was frozen in fear, right on the spot.

**_“Seonghwa, you knew better than to believe I wouldn’t find you. Your little spell was cute, but did you believe it would hold me forever?”_** Fuck, even Hyungsik’s voice was hollow. Booming, loud, but not a hint of emotion behind it. **_“Little Heeyoung must have run away when you did, how unfortunate. I wonder where she has gone.”_**

Heeyoung was gone? Part of Seonghwa was relieved to know she wasn’t dead, that Hyungsik hadn’t absorbed her magic and left her to rot. But still, even as eyes turned back and forth between them, Seonghwa didn’t move.

“… Alright, I’ll bite.” Hongjoong took more of a fighting stance, readying himself with his hand on the hilt of his sword. “What the hell is going on? Seonghwa, if you won’t speak, whatever—but _someone_ is going to tell us where the hell we are and why the hell Seonghwa is trying to run out the door like a madman.”

Yeosang and Jongho glanced back to the nothingness of the door, and Seonghwa watched as the younger two tried to open some of the velvet curtains, only for the windows to be filled with the same purple and black nothingness. There truly was no way out for them.

**_“Little Seonghwa, have you not told your little companions who you are? What you’ve been doing? Silly boy, you always knew you would come back here. I used too much of my magic to get you here. You shouldn’t have run from me.”_** The man tilted his head and Seonghwa could feel his hands shaking. They needed to get out—they needed to not be anywhere near him.

Hongjoong turned to face Seonghwa, his face angry, but concerned, before he pulled out his sword and pointed it at the king who still hadn’t moved. Yeosang and Jongho, glancing quickly at one another, moved a few feet behind Hongjoong with their hands on their own swords.

Before a move could be made, before Hongjoong could so much as take a step forward… from under the king’s robes crawled out a person.

Seonghwa’s eyes widened even more, and he felt himself fall to his knees.

The human was naked, extremely thin, with long black hair that was matted and reached the floor as it crawled. It moved up onto its bony knees before the head raised and, to all who looked, they could clearly see Seonghwa’s face staring back at them.

“What… what?” Jongho’s head whipped back and forth between the gaunt Seonghwa and their Seonghwa behind them. “How is that… possible? Hyung, seriously, what’s going on? Where are we?”

“ ** _Yes_ … Seonghwa**.” Hyungsik grabbed the gaunt figure’s head, the figure emitting a short gasp, and Seonghwa felt himself jolt forward onto his hands. **_“Why don’t you tell them? Or, perhaps, shall I call you by your_ true name _? Would that be better? Have you already forgotten your purpose to me_**?” King Hyungsik yanked on the other figure’s hair, and the poor boy’s bony fingers came up to pathetically wrap around the king’s wrist.

“Stop!” Seonghwa finally found his voice, his own body stumbling up as a hand reached out towards the other Seonghwa’s figure. “Please, stop it, you know I had to leave anyways for him! You know I had an agreement with him, you even told me I had to go—”

Seonghwa felt overwhelmed beyond any measure he had ever felt before in his life. His heart was racing so fast it threatened to beat right out of his chest, his entire body shaking like a leaf as he stood. He made no move to walk towards the king, else the man… hurt the person in his grasp.

“I’ll tell them. I’ll tell them everything, please, just don’t hurt him. Please, you know what I’ve done for you to keep him— please, just give me a moment.”

He knew this was another one of Hyungsik’s tricks. If he didn’t talk, he would hurt… he would hurt him. Everything would be for nothing. Hyungsik knew it was the very thing Seonghwa feared the most. Having to talk about his past. Even if he didn’t want to speak, he knew he had to.

Everything regarding Seonghwa had been a trick, a game for Hyungsik. Making him squirm, upsetting him, always testing the power he held under the young magician. Now, he would force him to finally tell everyone his horrible, dirty past. The past he had been running from for so long.

He had to finally talk.

“What is going on? What… hyung, who is that?” Yeosang’s voice filled Seonghwa’s ears, and when Seonghwa looked to his group, he could see the glittering reflections of memory in Hongjoong’s eyes. Ah, so his companion did remember parts of his past he told in drawings during their time in the camp. Seonghwa had only told a little, but it seemed Hongjoong held onto his words. That made something flip in his chest.

He couldn’t continue lying to them and keeping quiet. He had known a while before he would have to one day explain himself. Seeing the hurt and confusion in the children’s eyes, the anger in Hongjoong’s… no, he needed to speak. He had to.

“Please, allow me to explain…”

~xXx~

_Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Geli. The kingdom was a small kingdom nestled in the flourishing, flowered fields of the world it was in, and for its looks, it was a beautiful little place. People were happy, but of course, evil lurks wherever mankind lives._

_Geli had a beautiful queen, a woman of short, fluttering dark hair, skin as golden as the sun, and dark eyes that glistened the stars in them. Her husband, the king, had died of illness only a month before she was due to give birth to his son. The poor queen had been ruling alone, but the king’s brother quickly filled his place while the queen was on bedrest, becoming king and ruler in their place._

_The kingdom was small, but vibrant, joyful, and ready for a new prince to be born. To grow into the strong king that would lead them for decades to come when he was of age._

_But nothing ever goes as planned._

_The queen did not give birth to a beautiful, single son. The queen birthed twin boys, each with hair black as night, skin pale as snow, and the moment they opened their eyes—all knew the curse of the twins was true._

_The blue, magic filled eyes of a curse._

_In Geli, twins were a curse, witchcraft, and nothing good came of them. All twins were immediately killed at birth so to keep the peace they had known for centuries. But what was the kingdom to do when it was royal blood?_

_The king, the former king’s uncle, was furious. He kept the queen locked in her chambers, afraid of her being the source of the ill magic, allowing her to nurse and raise the children until they were weened of her. She named them Seonghae and Seonghwa, her little stars, and prayed each night to the gods above that her children would live to be old. To free them from the kingdom they were in._

_As soon as the children were old enough, their mother was ripped from them and killed by their uncle right before their eyes, the man claiming she had been the source of the evil that wrought them into the world. But for his brother, he would not kill them. Instead, he locked them in a tower separately, one on top, one on the bottom, and left them to die. But those who hold magic cannot simply die by such mortal means._

_The children were skinny, starved, but they did not die. Their hair grew and dragged the floor, but even as the years passed, they did not age. Such is the life of near-immortal beings._

_The twins would sometimes climb up or down the tower to visit one another, but always parted as they feared their uncle coming to find them. Occasionally the man would come and curse at them, beat them, tell them they were the reason for his pain and anguish. That the kingdom was in peril and people were dying and it was their fault for making him go mad._

_Until one day, he came, and sliced his neck in front of the tower. Leaving his bloodied body there for them to see._

_The twins spent more time together. Huddled together, quietly holding onto one another, they never ventured outside again. They refused to look upon their uncle, whose body had slowly decomposed in the flowery fields of Geli._

_The twins were unsure how much time had passed. No one came for them as none knew they existed. Fear kept them inside, kept them starving, dirty, and tangled together._

_They would never be the princes they were born to be. They were curses, and they had come to realize this._

_One day, possibly decades later, perhaps only months, a man came to the twins. He called himself their savior. He told them he would be able to give one of them a better life. They would be able to grow up, to eat, to have a place to call home. And that was more than either twin could have ever possibly expected for their lives._

_Seonghae, the elder of the two, spoke up and immediately told the man in his hoarse voice to take Seonghwa. To please take his younger brother and free him. Seonghwa protested, but the man only smirked._

_See, this man was not there to save them. This man was evil, and he was there to manipulate a powerful source of magic that he could use to help him with his wish. He just needed one of the twins, two boys were too many for his plan, and he would have someone come and train the boy to become a powerful magician—and that magic would be at his disposal soon enough._

_The man manipulated the situation. The man grabbed Seonghwa and, with a knife hidden in his tasseled sleeve, killed the boy right in front of Seonghae. But using his magic, he forced Seonghae’s memory to change, making him believe he had pleaded with the man to save him and not Seonghwa. That Seonghae had been the one to kill Seonghwa._

_The man just laughed as Seonghae cried, clinging onto his brother’s lifeless body, the feeling of blood seeping through the rags that he called clothes. The man told him someone would come for him and left without so much as another word._

_Seonghae stayed in that position, Seonghwa’s body cradled to his chest, still as a statue until someone came. Time didn’t matter to him. It never had. He had no idea how long he had been awake, how long he had been holding Seonghwa’s body._

_This man seemed… warmer, with his longer hair and beard. He introduced himself as King Hyungsik from a place called Hiemis. That he had been told there was a little boy with magic that needed to be helped. Seonghae said nothing, only stared at the king as he knelt down before him and Seonghwa’s body._

_The king explained there was a magical force that could bring his brother back, one that he could help Hyungsik and the other man find. If he listened to them… if he followed them, he could have Seonghwa back. Seonghae’s head shot up and he watched the king with more light in his eyes than he had ever held in them before._

_Seonghwa could come back. Seonghwa… Seonghae should have died in his place, and even as a child he knew he would give his very life to bring his little brother back._

**_“What is your name, child?”_ **

_Seonghwa could come back. And Seonghae would do anything to keep his memory alive and well and carry it with him every single day. And he would give that piece of Seonghwa back to him when he was revived._

_If only he had known then such things were impossible._

_“My name… is Seonghwa.”_

_\---_

_Seonghae, now Seonghwa, went away to live with the king. His kingdom was cold, snowy, and the world that surrounded him was nothing but ice—and Seonghwa liked it more because he didn’t have to think about the rolling, flowery fields of Geli that had imprisoned and surrounded him._

_The king had already discovered a single magical butterfly that he used to preserve the original Seonghwa’s body for him. Seonghwa had no idea where his brother’s body was taken, but the hope of having him back kept him quiet. Kept him from asking._

_He feared the king’s cold, distant eyes despite his smile._

_Almost immediately after his lessons began, he helped the king travel to a nearby village to help with a monster that had caused an avalanche. Low and behold, it had been a magical butterfly that had caused a mountain lion to grow chaotic and cause the avalanche that destroyed part of the village. Seonghwa had taken it, and the king had told him he should absorb its power when they returned home so he could become even more powerful._

_However, Seonghwa would find himself pouring over books until he found the spell that would transform the butterfly into a companion. He named her Heeyoung, and he made her in the likeness of his mother. So he and his brother would never forget the only person who had ever loved them._

_Seonghwa spent his life like that. Decades upon decades, Seonghwa studied, worked, and became the most powerful magician class possible. Collecting butterflies and becoming more powerful, just as he had promised to the king and the man, so he could finally have enough to bring Seonghwa back. Each decade brought more doubt, but he foolishly hoped to have Seonghwa back._

_The king always worked against him, with him, and against him again._

_There was the tattoo to stop his magic from growing._

_Being told his magic was destructive._

_Being gaslighted in every sense possible._

_And being told he was what caused Hyungsik to kill all of Hiemis._

_Seonghwa had fought him that day in the palace among the blood and bodies that filled the throne room, knowing then he had to finish this—he had to trap him and run. He feared killing him, wished to never have to kill anyone, and he had trapped him. He had wished Heeyoung the best, hoping she would run, and was finally ready to begin his journey. The witch had contacted him a few times in his life, and he knew when it was time._

_The journey was simple: he would collect butterflies and escort a prince, who would consume the butterflies, back to the man who would give him the ability to bring his brother back. The map would be fulfilled, and he was not to care about what happened to those he would journey with. He knew who they would be._

_He hadn’t known what the journey would bring. He couldn’t have prepared himself for it._

~xXx~

When Seonghwa finished, every eye was set upon him. Hongjoong had no idea Seonghwa had been hiding… that much pain inside of him. That he had been broken so deeply his entire life, his centuries of living, and everything he did… was for the hope of something better. That he was secretly keeping his brother’s memory alive, his mother’s memory, and doing what he could to keep such an evil man from destroying a world that had destroyed him.

Seonghwa had to bear that pain all on his own. Quietly, he suffered, yet he still did what he could to keep the kids happy. Would feed them before himself, always took the latest watches when they slept so they could be comfortable and was willing to sacrifice himself and his magic to save them.

Even when Jongho nearly killed him and took his magic, Seonghwa did not resent him. Even when Hongjoong was cruel and ignored him, Seonghwa did not resent him. When Yeosang went off on his own and nearly broke himself to be strong, Seonghwa did not resent him.

No, Seonghwa welcomed them all in whether he realized it or not. He had begun to care whether he wanted to or not because he was born with a heart too big for his own chest. Even when trying to be cold and calculated to make sure he got his brother back by completing this journey, he had cared for each and every one of them.

Seonghwa was… the strongest person Hongjoong had ever met.

“He’s… he’s your twin? He’s the original Seonghwa?” Yeosang’s voice broke Hongjoong’s thought and brought him back. There was no way the scrawny child on the floor was real. There was… there was no magic in the world that could do that. Not even something as powerful as Yeosang’s butterflies.

Within Seonghwa’s strength, Hongjoong could still see cracks. Hongjoong could see cracks formed from the hope that his brother would return one day. A child’s dream, formed when he was too young to understand, that had been twisted and turned in his mind so much that even with all of his knowledge of magic… Seonghwa still believed it was his brother. That his brother had not been lost the day he was killed.

“Seonghwa.” Hongjoong spoke in a low but commanding voice, his eyes never leaving Hyungsik. He knew they had no way of telling what he was going to do, not when he had such a mental and emotional hold on Seonghwa. “I don’t know what the hell he wants, but he isn’t getting it.”

**_“Aren’t I, though?”_** Hyungsik pulled both of their attention back to him, both heads whipping around to him again. Jongho and Yeosang had moved back closer to Hongjoong, but Hyungsik and the illusion of Seonghwa’s twin remained stoic in their place. **_“Seonghwa, finish your purpose to me. I used so much magic to pull you here, don’t you think it’s time you serve your purpose? And then we can get to fixing your brother. Just like I promised.”_**

“Seonghwa.” Hongjoong didn’t even give him a chance to respond to the man. He couldn’t let him be brainwashed any further. “Seriously, I’m going to beat the shit out of this guy, and we’re leaving. We’re going to fucking leave and I swear to you, we’ll talk about this all later.”

As Hongjoong moved to pull his sword out, Seonghwa’s hand reached out to stop him midway, but his eyes were still on the king.

“He’s more powerful than any of us, Hongjoong. Even me. He—” Seonghwa’s eyes flickered for a moment to the kids, seeming as though he was making sure they were paying attention to him. “The tattoo I gave to Wooyoung. Hyungsik gave to me so that… my magic couldn’t grow further. I had reached his level and he stopped me. I thought it was because I was getting out of control, but the day… the day he destroyed the entire village, he told me he was going to take my magic from me so he could grow more powerful and… take over everything he could. My purpose was to go on this journey for him to help fulfill his wish and mine. I trapped him barely before I met you all. I couldn’t use my magic because he would find us—and he did, Hongjoong. None of us can beat him. He’s more powerful than I am. Especially now that Jongho has half of my magic.”

Hongjoong knew they had no time for personal talks. Hyungsik had already been too patient with them if only to watch Seonghwa suffer as he spilled all of his thoughts, and the man was obviously uncaring to anyone’s life other than Seonghwa’s.

Seonghwa gasped and covered his mouth after speaking, an action that confused Hongjoong until he watched both Seonghwa and Hyungsik whip their heads around to Jongho, who had his sword drawn and ready. Yeosang was standing right behind him, his own hands gripping onto his sword.

In the blink of an eye, Seonghwa had barely managed to conjure a barrier in front of the two as black tendrils shot from Hyungsik’s now raised hand at the two. Fuck—Seonghwa had let out that Jongho now held half of the magic necessary to complete his wish. Which meant they had a lot more to protect than just Seonghwa.

Hyungsik didn’t stop. His body remained still, but the dark magic continued to pour from his limbs. Hongjoong ran up to grab both Yeosang and Jongho by their shirts before dragging them back behind both he and Seonghwa. Even as Hyungsik’s magic pelted Seonghwa’s shield, the magician did nothing else. He merely kept a barrier up. Why? Why was Seonghwa not attacking him back?

Seonghwa, obviously deep in thought, accidentally allowed the magic to stop long enough for one of the magic tendrils to get them. Hongjoong shoved Seonghwa out of the way, barely managing to get by with only a cut to his shoulder. Both of them toppled over, rolling against the floor. But there was no time to think about anything else. They had to protect Jongho and Yeosang too.

“That isn’t your fucking brother!” Hongjoong leapt back up onto his feet, sparing Seonghwa not even a glance as he stood back in front of the younger two. “You know that sort of dark magic was outlawed before our worlds even existed! You know some shitty magician in an ice palace isn’t going to hold that information! It’s buried in the recesses of a forgotten world, under the ground, never to be fucking seen again!”

This time, Hongjoong turned. He turned long enough to see the wide-eyed fear in Seonghwa’s eyes as he sat on the floor before looking back to Hyungsik. “You’re smarter than that! You’ve kept your brother alive in your memories and in your name for centuries now, haven’t you?! You didn’t need some self-righteous asshole trying to steal your magic and life away to do that!”

At his words, Hyungsik sent yet another line of magic at him, which Hongjoong ducked at, sword swiping in the air in an attempt to strike the magic away.

His father’s sword was stronger than any damn magician. Passed down through centuries, with the image of a dragon embedded in its hilt, Hongjoong had no fear that the magic would break it. Until the sword found its own purpose, reunited with the phoenix, the sword would not break.

Hehetmon squealed and tried to produce its own shield for Yeosang and Jongho, but once the dark magic touched it, the spell was broken and the three of them were sent flying back. Shit. Seonghwa was still on the floor, having a moment deciding what the hell he was going to do. As angry as Hongjoong was, he knew this was… this wasn’t something simple that could be fixed. Seonghwa’s pain expanded through a lonely few centuries, being told he was nothing, made to feel he was a monster. Hongjoong’s words couldn’t fix that.

Maybe, eventually, his actions could.

Hongjoong sprang into action, leaping into the air with his sword pulled back, hitting any bits of magic that came at him. But when he swiped at the man, Hyungsik, with all his magic, moved at the last second and hit Hongjoong’s body as hard as he could in response. Hongjoong managed to flip back and stumble to a stop on his feet, though the pain throbbing in his ribs persisted.

He had to keep going.

“Hyung, be careful!” Yeosang’s voice, more panicked than he had heard it in a long time, coming now from where Seonghwa had finally stood. Jongho was between them all, still ready, but scared and unsure. Hongjoong didn’t blame him. Being faced with a benevolent man who was ready to kill you for magic you didn’t even know what to do with… could be terrifying.

Hyungsik was… changing. In a terrifying way. The man that they had seen when they came in had been normal, albeit domineering. The man now had hollower cheekbones, his eyes were darkening, and Hongjoong could see dark veins begin to creep up in neck and down his outstretched hands. Like the magic he expelled was slowly beginning to take him over. And, if Hongjoong had to guess, dark magic of that caliber would do that.

The room began to darken as rolls of black smoke poured from under Hyungsik’s robes, and Hongjoong watched as the form of Seonghwa’s brother began to fade into it. An illusion, like anything else.

Jongho ran up beside him, and Hongjoong spared a glance to see the boy’s clenched jaw and hands tight around his sword’s handle.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to him again.” Jongho spoke quietly, eyes trained on Hyungsik’s darkening form. “I won’t stand by. And I know you feel the same about Seonghwa-hyung.”

With Jongho watching, Hongjoong allowed his gaze to linger on Seonghwa. Yeosang was standing in front of him, sword up, and Seonghwa had both hands on Yeosang’s shoulders. He looked… frightened. Conflicted. Hongjoong couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind. As much as it angered him, he felt angrier that he couldn’t fix it.

“Yeah. I’m not gonna let that piece of shit hurt him more than he already has.”

Hyungsik’s skin continued to pale, his eyes… cold, emotionless, as his arms came back down to his sides. Hongjoong took a more sturdy stance next to Jongho, his eyes trained still on Hyungsik, expecting absolutely everything and nothing at the same time. Magicians like Hyungsik and Seonghwa, who were powerful enough to not need to speak their spells, were the most unpredictable.

**_“Seonghwa. I am tired of this.”_** Even his voice was deeper, speaking as though his voice came from every crevice of the palace. It boomed and echoed throughout the room, and Hongjoong felt his hands tighten even more around his sword. **_“I will give you one final chance. Come to me now and bring the boy—give me what is rightfully mine, and I will bring your brother back. If you say no to me or hesitate one more time, I will kill you all and take what is mine. Your brother be damned.”_**

Hongjoong swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest as he expected for Seonghwa to immediately go to the man. How was he supposed to stop him if he went willingly towards him? Willingly helped give Jongho over? No—he couldn’t. Seonghwa was afraid, but Hongjoong would sooner believe he’d do nothing than something terrible. He couldn’t doubt him.

Seonghwa pushed away from Yeosang, nearly tripping as he walked between them all, hands clenched to fists at his side. Hongjoong wanted to scream at him, but there was a rising determination in his face that kept him back. Hongjoong knew he wasn’t going to do anything bad. No—he trusted him. He trusted Seonghwa with everything.

Seonghwa silently raised a hand up, palm up and facing Hyungsik, and Hongjoong watched Seonghwa’s jaw clench.

“… Hongjoong was right. Seonghwa isn’t there. He hasn’t been since we were children. My brother is gone in his physical form, but… I have him. In my heart.” Seonghwa’s voice barely quivered. He watched as Seonghwa stood up straighter, and Hongjoong’s heart swelled with pride. “We’re both Seonghwa now. His memories live in me and his name is my own now. And I won’t give anything to you—my magic is mine. And it is no one else’s.”

Growling filled the room. Hissing, rough growling, and the sounds of… anger filled the room. Hyungsik reached and pulled Seonghwa’s ‘brother’ from the black fog, and right in front of them all, crushed his head. The body crumbled, all dust and ash, and disappeared in the black magic seeping in the room.

Hongjoong saw Seonghwa flinch, but he stood his ground.

**_“So be it, pest.”_ **

\---

Seonghwa had always believed one day, he would get his brother back.

Seonghwa had deliriously believed his brother’s death to be his fault, though he had no real memory of trying to save himself over Seonghae. The man had told him he had, and as a child he believed him. But was it possible he had been manipulated? He would have never done something like that—he wouldn’t have wanted to save himself over Seonghae.

That was the guilt that had eaten at him for centuries, had worn him down into a place where he would do anything Hyungsik asked of him. Because his life was meaningless if he wasn’t working to give his brother the place in life that was rightfully his. The one that he deserved to have. Not Seonghwa.

But the journey, meeting everyone, it had brought him out of the dark place he had been placed into. That maybe… maybe Hyungsik was no good. Sure, seeing him kill the entire world they had called home told him he was hurting, that he was crazy, but there was still that hope somewhere inside of Seonghwa that had told him that his brother could still be brought back. That selfish desire that kept him back from getting close.

Maybe he wasn’t a monster. Maybe all along he was just being used, toyed with, and maybe now he could prove he was worthy to carry Seonghwa’s name and be a powerful mage without fear.

Being as educated and trained as he was, to naturally possess so much magic, it was supposed to be a gift. It was supposed to be something that he could use to help those he cared the most about. But he had been scared by Hyungsik his entire life. But now, who cared? Hyungsik was going to kill him no matter what to try and steal the magic from him. He had proven to Seonghwa he was nothing but a manipulator.

Seonghwa and Seonghae never mattered to him. All he cared about was magic and power.

Watching Hongjoong fight for him and the others the way he did was something Seonghwa had admired since he met the man. He hadn’t known any of them but was immediately prepared to give his life for any of them. How could someone like that exist? How was Hongjoong so protective, when he didn’t even know the horrors of what Seonghwa was?

Watching Jongho and Yeosang be hit and pushed back by Hyungsik’s magic, watching Hongjoong bleed from it, was enough to make Seonghwa force himself to change. Complete change could not come immediately. But enough to force him to finally stand up to Hyungsik could come.

As his brother’s fake body was destroyed, Seonghwa felt a tear roll down his cheek. This was his real, final goodbye to him. This was Seonghwa finally realizing and accepting that he would never have him back.

And for now, it was okay.

**_“So be it, pest.”_ **

Hyungsik’s venomous words were all he said before his body began to crack, crunch, and morph—his limbs were thin and long, face long and gaunt, big, black eyes taking up most of his face now. If Seonghwa had to guess, Hyungsik’s body couldn’t handle the amount of dark magic he had conjured and was deteriorating. And with that deterioration, the magic began to seep in and take control. Eventually… the magic would consume him entirely, and he would become a monster. He wasn’t going to remain coherent for long. Magic like that would destroy him from the inside out of not controlled. And with his body already giving into the magic, his will gone… they had to stop him before he got too far.

As balls of dark magic were thrown from Hyungsik’s hands, Seonghwa finally countered. Hands coming together before moving in a circle in front of him, making a shield guarded by runes and symbols that swirled around it. Once the magic stopped, Seonghwa pushed the magic barrier at Hyungsik, effectively catching the man off guard enough for Seonghwa to get closer.

No longer did he have to hold back. No longer did he have to push his magic down. Hyungsik had found them and his worst nightmare had come to life—but Seonghwa didn’t have to hold back anymore. Because he had people behind him that would help him, protect him—who didn’t see him as a monster.

Seonghwa, with the flick of a wrist, summoned a bolt of magic into his hand. In the blink of an eye he was pushing off his feet, jumping into the air before throwing the bolt down. Seonghwa, knowing it wouldn’t land the way he wished, was quick to jump back to Hongjoong again.

“This could go on for hours, Hongjoong.” Seonghwa spoke with more confidence than he had the entire journey thus far. “I mean it. I don’t have time to get my magic back from Jongho, and I’m unsure if I even can with that seal on his eye. But Hyungsik has taken all of the magic in this world and then some. I don’t know what it’ll take to get rid of him. Jongho and Yeosang aren’t ready for this. And I fear Hyungsik is going to use them against us.”

Hyungsik growled and Seonghwa watched as those black veins beneath of his skin began to darken further before billows of black smoke appeared in the wizard’s hands. Seonghwa watched anger fill the man’s eyes before that black smoke turned into solid orbs, a deep, menacing purple light emanating from their core.

They managed to jump out of the way just in time for the orbs to reach where they had been standing, the impact sending shards of marble and concrete across the room. Seonghwa’s head whipped back to make sure—fuck, fuck, where was Jongho? Hehetmon had Yeosang covered, and the prince had his arms covering his face, but Jongho was nowhere to be seen.

“Don’t be a fucking idiot!”

Seonghwa turned back around at Hongjoong’s outburst only to see Hyungsik holding a larger orb in his hand, the black fog thickening in the room, and Jongho rushing at the magician by himself, sword in hand.

No, no, no.

“Jongho!” He had magic in him, but dammit, Seonghwa hadn’t taught him how to harness it yet! Both he and Hongjoong bolted behind the boy, and time seemed to slow down painfully. Seonghwa’s hands reaching out to try and grab the boy, to try and pull him away before Hyungsik could land a hit on him. Jongho was entirely human—he wouldn’t survive a single hit from Hyungsik and they all knew it. So why, why would Jongho force himself in the front like that?

Miraculously, at the last second, Hongjoong yanked the boy to the side as he raised his sword to try and deflect the powerful ball of dark magic being hurled at them. It was the sword of his ancestors, passed down to him, the last remaining object that Hongjoong had left of his home. Yes, it deflected the magic and saved them.

But it also shattered before their eyes.

The very sword Hongjoong boasted about every chance he got. The one with a dragon on the hilt and the phoenix on the blade, a sword that was meant to last until the dragon and phoenix met again. Shattered and gone.

The shattering managed to push Hyungsik back, shards of the sword cutting his pale skin, but… somehow the rest of them were spared. Hyungsik was occupied, but Seonghwa knew they only had a few seconds.

“Hyungs—I’m sorry, I wanted to help, I couldn’t let you do it alone!” Jongho looked beween them and Hyungsik, frantic, with fear radiating in his eyes. “Hongjoong-hyung, I’m so sorry, I wouldn’t have had I—”

“I know.” Hongjoong’s voice cut through Jongho’s words, silencing the younger man. He held a hand up, shaking still with unspoken anger, but he didn’t yell. “I know you want to protect what’s important to you. But you still, after all this time, have to learn when enough is enough. When you need to protect and not fight. Yeosang is everything to you. We know. And we know you want to help. But you can’t, Jongho. Not right now.”

“In the future…” Seonghwa knelt down where Jongho had stumbled and fallen back, his hand reaching out to rest on the boy’s shoulder while Hongjoong looked back to Hyungsik. “I will teach you about that magic you have. And maybe one day you’ll be the one who saves us all, Jongho. But right now… Hongjoong and I will finish this. Together. You just need to go back and be with Yeosang. Help Hehetmon, and be ready for when we need to run from here.”

Jongho gave a silent nod, and Seonghwa stood again and returned to Hongjoong’s side. He had the broken sword’s hilt in his hand, the end of the blade still attached. Only the tail of the phoenix could be seen.

“… I’m sorry, Hongjoong. He wouldn’t have… done anything had he known it would have cost you your sword.”

The younger looked down at the broken remains of his sword and… shook his head. The man who had been so fiercely angry before had simmered, and Seonghwa could see sadness seeping into his expression.

“For the first time in my life… I think I finally realized what this sword is really about. A sword meant to be scarificed. My ancestors used it to protect their loved ones until death. My father died trying to protect his people with it. And you know what? For the first time, I wasn’t scared to lose the sword when I fought. I was more scared of us losing that kid.” Hongjoong tossed the handle up, easily catching it once more. “That’s what the sword is about. Protecting those you care about until death. It’s just that it wasn’t to my death this time. It was the sword’s.”

Seonghwa’s eyes softened as he reached across to rest a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder. “It looks like we’re both letting the past go today, aren’t we?”

There was something unspoken between them, lingering in the air. That the very things that were keeping them apart… had all lifted from their shoulders. They were changing as people, becoming more open versions of themselves, and realizing then they could grow together. If they made it out, they could finally speak everything they had been keeping in. Seonghwa could finally give his heart out, and Hongjoong could finally take it.

“If today is the day I die, I want you to know it has been an honor fighting by your side.” Is the words Seonghwa spoke, instead of the confession in his heart. But, truly, Seonghwa felt that those words would mean more to Hongjoong than anything else. And the way Hongjoong’s eyes softened spoke volumes to him, telling him that, yes, he had been correct.

Hyungsik began to rumble again, collecting himself, and Seonghwa felt the wind of the man readying another hit whip around him. But his eyes never left Hongjoong’s.

“Let’s finish this so we can get out of here.” Hongjoong reached the handle of his broken sword out between them, motioning for Seonghwa to take hold of it as well. “We’ve got this.”

And Seonghwa believed him.

But when Seonghwa reached out and grabbed onto the hilt of the sword, something—reacted inside of him. Seonghwa could feel something rising within him, something bubbling under the surface, threatening to take him over. When he looked at Hongjoong, he could see in the other’s eyes that he was feeling the same way. And he noticed then the way their skin had begun to glow, something surrounding them that he couldn’t quite make out yet.

“This isn’t my magic.” Seonghwa spoke quietly, gaze shifting to see even Hyungsik was holding back. “Hongjoong—”

Seonghwa back again from where he’d been watching Hyungsik, only to see the light that surrounded Hongjoong had formed a sort of... dragon around him. And when he gazed up, Seonghwa could see the image of a phoenix surrounding him. Seonghwa had never before touched Hongjoong’s sword, and he had never registered a magical signature so powerful from it. What was going on?

“… The stories were true. The sword… broke. Because the phoenix and the dragon were finally brought together. Because we finally let out pasts go.” Hongjoong mumbled, and Seonghwa could feel the way Hongjoong’s fingers tightened around the hilt.

The spirit of the phoenix and the dragon. Jongho had mentioned the sword’s story to him during one of their world visits after Giverny. That Hongjoong had claimed the spirits of the dragon and phoenix were separated and Hongjoong’s family, the dragon, would one day find the phoenix again. Using the sword as protection. And—and Seonghwa realized, in that moment, that the tattoo that had been on his back had been that of a phoenix.

They were destined to meet.

**_“Fools.”_** Hyungsik’s voice sounded as though he was drowning. The dark magic was taking his body over, rotting it, and it bubbled from the man’s mouth. “Nothing you do can stop me now. I’m going to put everything I have into this and finish all of you once and for all! I’m tired of these games, Seonghwa, and I will make sure you and your little friends burn in hell!”

Seonghwa narrowed his eyes at the king and turned back to fully face him. His heart was telling him to raise the hilt, and as soon as he began so did Hongjoong.

“Yeosang, Jongho.” Seonghwa spoke firmly, fire burning in his eyes. “Take cover.”

Hyungsik let the orb of dark magic release from his hand at them, and Hongjoong and Seonghwa pushed the hilt of the broken sword out at him. The magic surrounding Hongjoong and Seonghwa left them and went back into the sword, forming a blade of light before the magic shot out at the king.

The impact of the two forces meeting were almost enough to push Hongjoong and Seonghwa over, but it was Seonghwa who fused his own magic into the sword at that moment, in the moment finally pushing to not be bullied any longer by the man who had raised and abused him. If it meant dying, he’d push until King Hyungsik could no longer hurt anyone else.

The ground shook beneath of them, and both Seonghwa and Hongjoong reached both hands to try and grip onto the hilt of the sword. Hyungsik pushed, but they pushed back. As hard as they possibly could, with all of the energy and might within them.

“I’m not—I’m not going to let you hurt people any longer!” Seonghwa yelled out to the king, eyes blazing with rage as he looked at him. “If I die, I’m taking you with me!”

Seonghwa pushed all of his magic that he could through the hilt of the sword. Everything he had left inside of him, as much as he could possibly force, until he felt blood drip from the corners of his lips.

Seonghwa felt the ground shaking, could feel wind whipping at his ankles as his magic fueled the sword. He could hear Jongho and Yeosang screaming at him from somewhere behind, could hear Hyungsik swearing at him, could feel the chill of the dark magic whirling around them lick at his skin, but Seonghwa didn’t stop. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut so he could concentrate. Concentrate on giving his all for the first damn time in his life.

He could feel his skin burning. He could feel his magic pulsing in his veins and threatening to rip him in half. But he didn’t care. He screamed, focused, until it was over.

Until the blast finally cut through the dark magic and pierced King Hyungsik through his chest.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong dropped to their knees as the king wailed before them. Slowly, the king’s skin began to flake like paper, the black ooze of dark magic pouring from his eyes and mouth. The king’s bones began to crumble, crack under the force of the dark magic, until he crumpled away. His voice so garbled that Seonghwa wasn’t even sure what his final words were. And truthfully, he didn’t want to know what they were.

He watched as a butterfly began to flutter down from where the king had been standing and heard Hehetmon run over to grab it. Must have been the butterfly

Seonghwa felt hands on him suddenly. Soft hands stroking his hair, before the body pulled him into their chest. Ah—Yeosang. Yeosang had come over to him. “I’m so proud of you, hyung. You saved all of us and finally got back at the king. You finally laid your brother to rest and I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Sangie.” Seonghwa let himself crumple in the younger boy’s hold, turning his body so he could bury his head into Yeosang’s chest. His fingers curled into the back of the younger’s shirt as he felt Yeosang’s fingers card through his hair. It was… nice to feel close to someone and no longer fear for their safety. He didn’t have anything to hide. Not any longer.

And Seonghwa wished that he could have stayed in that moment for longer, but the entire palace began to shake and crumble, and when Seonghwa pulled himself back to look around, he watched as the purple abyss from outside had begun to eat away at the palace. Hyungsik’s magic was probably the only thing keeping the remaining bits of the world together.

The ground began to crack, the water in the fountain sloshing onto the floor, and… the world was shrinking before their eyes. Fuck, they had to get out of there and get out of there fast—before the world ate them too. Yeosang stumbled over to Jongho and Hongjoong before the ground began breaking more, leaving Seonghwa alone.

“Hehetmon, can you get us out?” Seonghwa’s magic needed to rest and restore. He wasn’t sure he had the magic to get them out.

“Hehet can! Hehet has to hurry! Up in the sky since the ground is breaking!” Hehetmon’s little flower opened, the ‘ _kyu_!’ was let out, and Jongho and Yeosang were the first to jump up into the portal Hehetmon had opened alongside the little creature. Hongjoong went next, but the ground began to crack as Seonghwa walked towards them, sending Seonghwa stumbling down into the shrinking ground.

“Come on, the portal is closing!” Hehetmon being gone meant the portal wouldn’t stay open for long, and the world had almost completely collapsed. Seonghwa hurried over to him, let Hongjoong grab his hand and lift him up… but the portal was too small. Seonghwa tried to use his magic to open it more, but nothing happened. He only began to cough up more blood as the portal shrunk in on Hongjoong. “Fuck, the portal isn’t big enough—"

This was the end. This was going to be the end. Seonghwa had no magic left, and everything was crumbling around them. He wasn’t going to make it out.

But… it was okay.

Maybe Seonghwa had been wishing for death his entire life so that his brother could live instead and maybe he finally had a life where he no longer needed to be tied down by guilt and afraid, but it was alright if this was where it ended. Because he finally did something right for once. His magic hadn’t been used to destroy—his magic had been used to save the only people in the world he cared about. And he knew Seonghae would be proud of him.

Seonghwa let Hongjoong’s hand go and let himself drop back onto what was left of the shrinking ground. The foyer of the palace was gone, unrecognizable, and the fog of the dark magic began filling Seonghwa’s lungs as he breathed.

“Hongjoong… it’s okay. Alright? It’s okay.” Seonghwa looked up at him with all of the love and adoration he could muster. If this was his goodbye, he was going to make it good. If this was the day he died, he was going to die without any regrets in his heart. “I did it. I finally beat him. I finally took control of my life. And I saved you all so you can go on and get Yeosang’s memories. And fix what that man has done to everyone.”

“What? No—no! Shut the fuck up, I’m not leaving you!” Hongjoong looked frantic as the portal continued to shrink. Soon, he would be forced back, and Seonghwa wouldn’t be able to see him. But he would be back with the kids, and he could finish what they started. “I’m not leaving you behind, I’m going to fix this—somehow!”

Seonghwa actually laughed at that. Of course Hongjoong would be so fierce, even when the end was near. It… made Seonghwa tear up. Ah, he hadn’t thought he would cry when death came for him. He had thought he would feel relieved, but instead, he found himself thinking of what his life could have been. Maybe there would have been a happy ending. Maybe… he and Hongjoong could have had a happy life together.

“Hongjoong. Please take care of them for me. Please watch after them, make sure they eat and rest. Don’t let Jongho be too reckless. Make sure Yeosang doesn't blame himself.” Oh, the tears had begun to pour down Seonghwa’s flushed cheeks. This really was goodbye. Seonghwa reached a hand up, knowing he wouldn’t be able to touch Hongjoong again. He had been preparing himself for death for centuries, but even now... he couldn't help but feel sad.

_“Please don’t forget how much I love you, Hongjoong.”_

Something in Hongjoong’s eyes changed. Something… snapped inside of him. Seonghwa watched for the briefest split second as Hongjoong’s eyes went completely dark before the former palace guard took the broken sword still in his other hand and—and stabbed it into his left arm before cutting all the way down. Blood began to gush down, and Hongjoong coated the broken family sword in it as though it was nothing.

What the hell?

Hongjoong’s arm went limp as he threw the blood-soaked blade’s remains into the world below. And… just like that, the portal opened wider, and Hongjoong reached down with one arm to pull Seonghwa up and into the portal with him. What had just happened? Why had that opened the portal wider.

There was no time for words, not yet.

\---

When Seonghwa opened his eyes again, they were surrounded by… men. All sorts of men in various uniforms that somewhat resembled what they saw in Hwandon. What Hongjoong had worn when they first met.

Jongho and Yeosang were sitting on the grass looking around, and Seonghwa whipped his head to the side to see Hongjoong bleeding out on the ground beside him. Hongjoong, who had passed out from blood loss, who had… harmed himself so deeply just in an attempt to save Seonghwa’s life. Hongjoong, who had pulled him away from death, just because… he wanted to be with him. No one had ever, ever cared for Seonghwa the way Hongjoong did. And Seonghwa had almost lost him. He wasn’t going to go through that pain again.

“ _Please_ —” Seonghwa threw himself onto Hongjoong’s chest, uncaring to whether he got blood on himself or not. He wanted to be able to feel his heartbeat, faint as it was, for himself. If Hongjoong hadn’t given up on saving him, then he wasn’t going to give up on saving Hongjoong. “Please, please, someone, help him! I can’t—I can’t lose him, not now, _please_ —”

Seonghwa let out a sob he hadn’t known he was keeping in before feeling someone’s hand on his head. A larger hand, one he didn’t recognize… and a magical signature that felt familiar in the same way it felt unfamiliar. He lifted his head slowly from Hongjoong’s chest, and his eyes met the stranger’s.

The other was about their age, with beautiful robes on. He was handsome, with white hair and a gentle look in his eyes. There was another standing behind him, same age, perhaps, with a peachy red color to his hair and he wore… clothes similar, again, to Hongjoong’s when they had first met.

“Hongjoong is going to be perfectly fine, Seonghwa. We’re ready and prepared for this.” The man smiled, hand raising to motion for the men to come forward. They all quickly took Hongjoong away from him, but the white-haired man just smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder so Seonghwa would look at him.

“How…” Seonghwa’s voice was quiet, shaken. “How did you know? That he was coming? And was injured?”

“Let’s just say… I had a dream.” The other laughed as he took his hand back, pressing it to his own chest.

“My name is Prince Yunho, and this is Mingi. Welcome to Hangguk country, Seonghwa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, remember how in chapter 2 Seonghwa talks about the phoenix shape of his tattoo? I always wondered if people caught onto that when Hongjoong talked about his sword to Jongho, haha! As I've said, I've put a lot of little things into this world, so there's always something going to come back!
> 
> The next chapter is the final interlude and shouldn't be too much to write, just a buildup for the last chapter, so I'm going to do my best to have that up as soon as possible!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! I enjoy all of your comments, even if I don't always have time to respond to them! I'll do my best to, thank you for supporting and loving this fic thus far!!
> 
> See you soon!


	14. Interlude: Final

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the end! This chapter is just a little setup for the final chapter and a little more insight into the second Jongho and why he exists!
> 
> The next chapter is my second favorite one I planned. It's very couple heavy, no action! Everyone will finally talk. It's a miracle.
> 
> See you all in the next one!

** Enter: a room between worlds. **

_“Goddammit!”_

The once quiet landscape of the room has been torn. Suddenly, the once dark and blackened state of the room has become violently red. There is no discernable light source, but the entire room is bathed in red light. Eden’s throne, the perimeter of the vast room, and the shining marble floors have all been turned red.

Eden has taken to throwing anything he can that the woman has brought him. Teacups, saucers, swords, pottery—anything attainable, he has thrown and smashed, and bits of his rampage have scattered on the floor. The magic screen by his throne still glows, and images of the group on their journey flicker on it. But Eden is paying no mind.

“Have you located Wooyoung, Eden?” The woman’s voice, ever robotic, was as monotone as ever. She stood with more bits of pottery from Eden’s collection in her hands, which was promptly ripped from her so Eden could smash them against the stairs of his throne.

“No! That impudent witch—he and his little boy toy managed to get around my spell! The tea shop was fucking empty and that little asshole left a note!”

Eden had stopped detecting Wooyoung’s magic abruptly and had rushed immediately to the tea shop, only to find it dark and empty. There had been a simple note, claiming the spell Eden had placed on Wooyoung to stop his time was gone—San had made a wish and figured out how to loophole them through it. And they had left.

Humiliating. It was humiliating for a human and someone as beneath him as San to figure out a way around Wooyoung’s time spell. Now Eden had nothing over Wooyoung. He had no way of stopping Wooyoung from helping the group now. He had no way of stopping him from destroying everything Eden had worked centuries for.

Unless.

“There is enough of the map done to fulfill my wish.” The man spoke up again, voice low and commanding. “They wouldn’t have worked to get around my spell had it not been time. They’ve probably gone to warn those kids about what I’ve done. But I’m smarter than Wooyoung is. I’ve always been smarter than Wooyoung.”

Because that meant he had time. Eden had time to get there before the group did. He had time to get there and collect the map from within Yeosang and take what was rightfully his. His wish would finally be granted.

After all of these centuries, he could finally get what he wanted.

What he _deserved_.

No longer did the sounds of crashing metals and ceramics fill the void of the room between worlds. Instead, slow, maniacal laughter spilled from Eden’s lips. Wooyoung had believed he had the upper hand when he was so, so predictable. Probably telling the group all about their past and what had happened. It was no matter. Not anymore. Because by the time Wooyoung told them, Eden would already be in Anthina waiting on them.

The rage that had been boiling over in his veins for centuries was finally coming to an end. Now, pride and vengeance fueled him. Because he knew Wooyoung would try and make sure the group made it to Anthina first. So that they could ‘fix’ what had been broken. But no, oh no, Eden would make sure he arrived first. He would steal the little prince away and use the map his heart made across dimensions and worlds to finally finish the cost of his wish. And he would be unstoppable. He could have the forbidden knowledge from the world before, tucked away in Anthina.

This timeline had worried him for a moment, had him concerned he was going to have to do it again, have to go and find them and search for their souls in other worlds to use again. Last time he thankfully hadn’t made it to where he needed the guard and magician but finding another Jongho was a pain. At least he had been an orphan in all of the worlds, making him easy to steal. No one would miss a lost soul with no ties. Regardless, it had been work Eden was not fond of.

Speaking of the original Jongho…

Eden turned his attention to the tank sitting behind his throne, where the original Jongho of Anthina was located. He had kept the boy in case he needed the memories instilled in him again, but… perhaps this vessel would still be of use to him.

The original Jongho had been too bold. Eden had allowed too much of the personality of the orphan he’d found to stay inside of the soul, he should have expelled it when he wiped his memories and brought him to Anthina.

His plan had been different at first. He was going to have Jongho be the one to enact the spell that would scatter Prince Yeosang’s memories in butterflies across the worlds, would let the guilt Jongho felt be what fueled him to go on the journey. Then he would meet the magician and the ninja and all would work. So Eden had placed the spell within the boy’s body when he dropped him in Anthina, and he waited until the right moment years later to activate the spell.

But the child had been too strong willed.

The child had willfully stopped himself from enacting the spell, had shook until his body convulsed and he dropped to the ground before the crying prince. And the spell had been broken as soon as Jongho passed out and failed to use it, and Eden had to come in himself and fix the situation.

\---

**_“I put so much time and effort into you, Jongho.”_ **

_Eden walked slowly up onto the scene as Jongho was roused awake by Yeosang, who held him tight by the shoulders as both looked onto Eden in fear. His long black cloak scraped the marble ground of their little place beneath the ruins, his black boots clacking against the smooth stone._

_“Who… who are you?” Yeosang was the one to speak, voice steady, but quiet. “How do you know Jongho?”_

**_“I found this little orphan years ago. It’s a shame, he was an orphaned soul in every world I found him in. Worthless, and wouldn’t be missed.”_ ** _Eden knelt down in front of the boy, his lips curling into a smirk as he reached out and clutched the boy’s chin. **“Perfect for my plan. But you ruined that, didn’t you? You refused to enact my spell. And now I must come and intervene.”**_

_As Eden stood, Jongho’s eyes never left him. “I—I don’t know who you are. I’ve never seen you before in my life. I don’t know what plan you’re talking about, and I don’t want to hurt Yeosang!”_

_Eden chuckled low and dark to himself, his arms folded against his chest, the tassels of his robes swinging in the draft breeze of the underground cave._

**_“I suppose I’ll have to start over. Alright, Jongho, I’m tired of this. Time to go.”_ **

_With a snap of his fingers, Jongho’s body went rigid and his eyes rolled back in his head, body turning blue before falling over._

_Yeosang, too afraid to scream, tried to scramble to Jongho’s fallen body, but was pulled back by Eden’s hand grabbing him by the back of the shirt. The elder boy held his arms over his face before they too were pushed away by Eden’s hand._

_“Stop! We haven’t done anything to you, just leave us alone!”_

**_“You have a special magic within you, little Yeosang. A special magic that I need to fulfill my dreams. But sadly, my dream costs too much. But one day, you and your little Jongho will fulfill those cost requirements for my wish. Don’t worry, I’ll give you help. I want to make sure my wish is completed correctly.”_ **

_Yeosang watched the man with fear filled eyes, but not once did he cower or beg. Just like his ancestors, Eden thought._

_“Why… why us? Why me? You said I have some sort of magic inside me, but… why hurt me and make me be the one to fulfill the cost requirements?”_

_Eden let the prince go with a laugh. **“Your magic mingled within the cost requirements for my wish? It only enhances its worth. I need that. And Jongho is just my little pawn to make sure I get close to you. And it worked, didn’t it? I got close. But now I have to start over with a new Jongho because this one I didn’t make perfect enough. A shame, really.”**_

_“Why… tell me this? Why tell me your plans?”_

**_“That’s easy.”_ ** _Eden walked over next to Jongho’s fallen body as black smoke began to pour out from beneath his cloak, pushing Yeosang back as it began to fill the room. **“Because I’m going to wipe your memories now, Prince Yeosang. And I’m going to turn back time for you and start over. But it was nice getting to have a little fun with you.”**_

_As the smoke filled the prince’s lungs, the magic within it began to work, began to erase all of Yeosang’s memories of the Jongho he knew, and of all Eden had told him. He coughed, his body trying to reject the smoke, but to no avail. Eden watched with a grin as he and Jongho began to disappear back to his room between worlds._

**_“See you soon, Prince Yeosang.”_ **

\---

Eden had taken the shell of the old Jongho and had placed him into the tank as soon as he came back to his room. But not before taking the boy’s eye and placing a seal over it—something that would allow him to interject and take over when Jongho wasn’t doing what he wanted. Or if something were to happen where the journey would be threatened. He would accept no mistakes from the next timeline.

When he found another part of Jongho’s soul in another world, he took that boy’s eye and replaced it with the one from the former. He wanted to make sure the pain of the forgotten memories could still be felt when Yeosang’s spell was activated and he couldn’t save him. He still needed Jongho to feel as though saving Yeosang was his only reason for living.

That fulfilling the journey was his reason for living.

Making the new Jongho less like his old self and more like the soul Eden needed had proven very successful. And the seal on his eye made watching the journey so much easier, but also had saved the journey a few times as well. Eden had become concerned when the rogue king decided to… mess with his plans, but all was going well. And Wooyoung and his little human wouldn’t be stopping him either.

“Alright, Jongho. We’re going to fix you right up and then we’re going to make a trip to Anthina. It’s time to collect our map and collect my wish. Wooyoung cannot get out of wish granting. That is not a spell to be broken. It’s his entire purpose.”

The woman walked up to him, the empty wooden tray still in her hand. “Shall I ready your things, Eden?”

“Yes.” Eden mused as the fluid drained from the tank Jongho was in. “I believe I’ll do a little modification to my new weapon here and head out. **_It’s finally time.”_**

****

****

****

****

** Exit: the room out of time. **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading!! And thank you as well for leaving comments! I read all of them, even if I have little time to respond!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me! We're almost there!


	15. World: Hangguk Country

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry almost Christmas!! I was hoping to have this chapter out a little before then as a present!!
> 
> I hope to have the next one out soon! There's only two more chapters left!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this fic! I know with the upload schedule being weird after I had some life problems it made for some sporadic uploads, but I hope to have everything finished in a timely manner while I can!
> 
> The next chapter will finally give everyone the answers to all of the cryptic moments and unanswered ends I've placed within the fic as to what the journey really is-- and then we'll only have the end left!
> 
> Thank you again for all of your kudos and comments, they mean a lot even when I'm too busy to answer, they've kept me going! I'm proud to give you all this fic.
> 
> See you at the end!

~xXx~

Yeosang liked Hangguk Country. Or, well, what little of it they had seen.

As soon as they had arrived, Prince Yunho has whisked Hongjoong away to immediately be helped. He had the best medical staff in his country there for Hongjoong… and when asked how he knew, Yunho had just smiled and told them that he would explain everything soon enough. He just wanted for Hongjoong to be awake first so they could all be there together. He then took Seonghwa by the hand and took him to where Hongjoong’s room was. Where he would be moved too after being helped.

Meanwhile, another person helped Yeosang, Jongho, and Hehetmon. He had red hair, was taller than Yunho, and had the nicest smile that Yeosang had ever seen. His name was Mingi, and he was one of Yunho’s personal guards (as Hongjoong had been too). And they very quickly figured out he was also Prince Yunho’s boyfriend. He couldn’t hide his feelings. Yeosang thought it was sweet.

Mingi had shown them to their rooms in the palace and had presented them with robes and other utilities. He told them Yunho had prepared a hot bath for them upon their arrival if they would like to get clean and, well, Yeosang wasn’t someone who had to live in luxury despite being a prince—but soft robes and warm baths were something he deeply missed about home. So, he readily agreed.

Jongho hadn’t. Had claimed he would like some time to rest before bathing. Hehetmon had decided to stay behind and nap with Jongho, to which Jongho politely asked the creature if he could nap in Yeosang’s room. Yeosang felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he wondered if it had anything to do with him. But he only nodded and let Mingi show him to the bath.

The bath allowed him time to think about everything that had happened. Their lives had become so… fast, so dangerous, he was never given the time to sit and soak in everything that was happening around them.

They had been gone for months on this journey. Months of Yeosang being without his memories, clueless as to who he was for so long, and even now… even now something was wrong. He had most of his memories, but the gap where Jongho was made his heart feel empty. He knew he was Prince Yeosang of Anthina, the heir to the throne after his brother Yongsun. He remembered Jaejin, Yongsun’s lover and advisor, and he remembered the marble stairs that led to their palace in the desert.

He knew of his childhood spent studying and preparing to become king one day. He remembered being lonely, until… that’s when he assumed Jongho arrived. His memories from his childhood were all in bits and pieces, all thoughts of Jongho gone and wiped—but Yeosang knew those sweet moments where he had felt happy were where Jongho had been. Where he had always been and where he always would be. He knew why Jongho had given his memories up with Yeosang. He knew it had been for this journey so he could gather the rest of his memories and live. But it hurt Yeosang.

It hurt watching the people he cared about fighting a fight he could barely help with. He had a sword, he was a trained prince, but even then… he felt useless sometimes. Watching them all fight Seonghwa’s old king and not being able to do anything hurt more than anything else. Especially when he had been able to do so much in Grand Library and Acid Tokyo. It hurt watching them fight and not being able to help. But he knew… that was not his fight to fight.

It hurt watching Hongjoong and Seonghwa fight too. Yeosang was younger, sure, but he wasn’t a child. He knew something happened in Hwandon and he knew they had finally confessed. But he knew Hongjoong could be pushy and Seonghwa, his precious hyung, was scared. Seonghwa had been his anchor when he’d first woke up and knew nothing. But… he had felt a barrier between them since Hwandon.

Now that they knew of Seonghwa’s past, he hoped that Seonghwa would finally begin to break those walls of insecurity down. He hoped more than anything that Seonghwa and Hongjoong could finally work everything out.

Especially after that… phoenix and dragon soulmate stuff. There was no way that they couldn’t. Not after that. And maybe after that Yeosang could have his safe hyung back. He missed him.

As Yeosang sank lower into the bath, the long windows of the room letting in the bright moonlight outside, he began to let himself think of Jongho again.

Jongho had scared him when the journey began. Someone who looked at him with such intensity in his eyes had frightened him. He didn’t know who he was, how could he look at him with such… love swirling in his eyes? Jongho tried to hide it, sure, but Yeosang saw it clear as day every time their eyes met.

Jongho, who sacrificed a lifetime of memories just so Yeosang had the opportunity to live a happy life. Jongho, who put himself into danger constantly, just because… he loved him. Because the night he confessed his love, Yeosang’s memories were taken. Yeosang had no idea what he had done to deserve someone who was so willing to give up their own happiness for the happiness of another. What he had done to deserve… love like that.

Things had been hard between them since Acid Tokyo. Watching Jongho lose control, watching that seal over his eye turn red and make him nearly kill Seonghwa—to make Seonghwa have to become a _vampire_ just to stay alive—was extremely hard. Had Seonghwa even… fed since turning? He could only do so from Hongjoong, had they even spoken about that?

Yeosang sighed. Life was a mess. Besides feeling guilt after turning from Jongho in Acid Tokyo despite Wooyoung telling them it wasn’t his fault, Yeosang knew all of the pain they had experienced was ultimately his fault. It was his memories, his butterflies they were chasing. Hongjoong might lose his arm, Seonghwa had to become a vampire, Jongho had to watch as the love of his life didn’t even know who he was, and all of them… all of them were constantly in danger. Just for his memories.

Yeosang was tired of this journey. He wanted to go home, and he wanted everything to go back to normal. He didn’t want this anymore. He just wanted everything to be normal again. He was sick of all the fighting. Wooyoung had mentioned in Acid Tokyo that the journey was coming to an end… but they hadn’t heard from him since. He hoped Wooyoung was right.

After the bath, Yeosang found himself at the sliding door to Jongho’s room. He politely knocked a few times, but… there was no answer. Was Jongho ignoring him?

“If you’re looking for Jongho, he isn’t in there.”

Yeosang whipped his head around to see Mingi, now dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, approaching him. He had ditched his red coat, similar to the one Hongjoong had worn once in the time Yeosang had taken to bathe.

“Where is he?”

Mingi pointed a finger… straight up in the air. “Rooftop. Doing a little thinking. He seemed to be going through something, y’know? So, I told him where I usually go to think. Yunho too. Nice view of the moon. Easy to let yourself get lost. Good to clear your head of stuff. I’m willing to bet it’s all about you, though.”

Yeosang winced a little at that. “Is it that obvious?”

Mingi just grinned and leaned a shoulder against the wall next to Jongho’s door. “He watched you as you walked away for way longer than anyone normally would. I know a lovesick puppy when I see one. You wanna talk about it?”

Yeosang just sighed and tugged at the end of the robe’s sleeves. The blond couldn’t even make eye contact with Mingi. “This journey has been… hard. Harder than I ever thought it was going to be. Things just… keep happening. They keep getting worse instead of better. And it’s driven a wall between us. I know it isn’t Jongho’s fault, but it still hurts. It’s… so much on me. But I miss him. He’s, uh… yeah.”

At least Yeosang’s blushing cheeks seemed to be enough for Mingi to catch on to what he was saying. Mingi just grinned wider and folded his arms over his chest.

“He thinks the same. I can’t be sure because he didn’t tell me anything except that he had a lot on his mind, sure, but I saw his eyes. His heart is hurting too. And I think maybe you going up there to talk to him would help. I know if Yunho was hurting I would want to run and help him no matter what. I think maybe now… is a good time to work things out.”

“… yeah.” Yeosang replied quietly, his head finally raising again. Mingi might be on to something, saying that now was a good time to work things out. They weren’t given time like this, so… maybe it would be. “Thank you, Mingi. Do you know anything about Hongjoong-hyung? Is he alright?”

To that, Mingi shrugged. “Last I heard, they had his arm stitched up, but he hadn’t woken up. Seonghwa and Yunho were still talking in Hongjoong’s room. But as far as I know, he’s stable. He’s in good hands. Yunho had time to prepare the best of the best for his situation.”

“Is Yunho going to explain that to us soon?”

“Soon. I promise.”

\---

Mingi had been correct. The rooftop really was a nice place to come and think.

The entire countryside could be seen, little villages scattered all over the land, and the light of the vast stars above glittered down on them. It was calming, honestly. All of the seas of craziness they had been through, swirling through his mind like a storm, calmed. For a few short moments, Jongho felt at peace.

But then he was reminded of it all. Reminded that he wasn’t normal. He wasn’t right. That this journey had proven that Jongho wasn’t normal and he never had been. Little quirks he assumed had some easy meaning had become tangles of pain and torment on his life.

He had thought maybe the fact that he had no memory of his childhood was normal, that perhaps he had experienced some form of trauma and that was why he remembered nothing until his adoptive father coming and finding him. But now, maybe, there was a much more sinister reason for it. He had assumed the blurry vision in his right eye had to do with that trauma. But now… he knew that there was something much darker going on.

What if he snapped again? What if this power that had sent them on this journey, who obviously was watching them, made him lose control again at any point? How was he supposed to live with himself?

When the journey began, he had been so… filled with fire. So brazenly ready to fight to get Yeosang’s memories back. He had no idea just how hard it was going to be. Fighting monsters, men, fighting magical beings from other worlds, trying to learn how to swordfight just so he could feel useful, and then… all of his hard work being taken away from him the moment the seal over his eye was broken. Not just the first time in Grand Library, but in Acid Tokyo, where he very nearly killed his hyung.

He and Yeosang had finally made it to a good point too. They had finally made up, decided to try everything again in Seven Seas Port, where Jongho had finally kissed him under the light of the sunset. But that had all been destroyed, hadn’t it?

Things weren’t supposed to be like this.

Things were supposed to be like they were in Tokyo or Giverny Town. Where they got jobs for money so they could buy food and shelter, got a feel of the world, found Yeosang’s butterfly, and had a good time traveling through worlds until they succeeded in getting the butterflies for Yeosang. And Hongjoong could get back home and Seonghwa could run away. It was… supposed to be simple. But Jongho had learned quickly that there was no such thing as coincidences. They hadn’t come together out of sheer luck. No. Everything had been orchestrated perfectly, tuned like a piano.

Jongho wanted to be mad at Wooyoung. He wanted to blame Wooyoung for this, but he realized the only reasoning he had to be angry at Wooyoung was that the witch was just someone of a higher power than him. He just wanted to be angry at someone who wasn’t himself.

He wanted to blame someone other than himself for this. He had no name, no face for this so-called man that Wooyoung said was the reason that they were all brought together, why they had all been made to suffer. But Jongho could not blame that man. He had no way to concretely blame him yet.

So Jongho blamed himself.

Jongho blamed himself for Hongjoong always having to put himself in harm’s way to try and protect them. Because Jongho’s skills had been lacking. Because he couldn’t grow as a fighter in a fast enough pace. Because he had a seal over his eye that made him something the elder could not trust. Because he was weak, untrustable, and a hazard. Because of him, Hongjoong was now potentially dying. He had no way of knowing how his hyung was doing.

Jongho blamed himself for the pain Seonghwa had endured. Because of Jongho’s inability to protect Yeosang, because of the butterflies, the seal had been broken and he nearly killed him without even knowing it. Because of him, Seonghwa had to become a vampire by Minho’s blood. Because of him, he had taken half of Seonghwa’s magic—and his now one blue eye was a constant reminder. One eye of stolen magic, one eye a seal for darker power.

And oh, Jongho deeply blamed himself for Yeosang.

There was a rage that had simmered slightly over time, but still burned deep in his chest. A rage against himself. He had somehow started the spell that stole Yeosang’s memories. Even if that man had planted the spell, Jongho had activated it. And there was a longstanding guilt in his heart that he felt could only be cured by the completion of the journey. Once Yeosang had his memories and was back home, Jongho could rest.

Yet, as time went on Jongho began to feel more and more that the journey would never end. They had been gone from their homes for months, traveling to countless worlds, gathering countless memories for Yeosang. How much longer? Wooyoung had said it wouldn’t last much longer… but he worked outside of time and space. How much longer was ‘not much longer’ by Wooyoung’s standards?

Jongho sighed as the cold wind of the country night whipped around him. Maybe he should have worn more than just the casual robes Mingi had given him.

“Is this seat taken?”

The sudden voice startled Jongho, but he’d know that voice anywhere. He turned quickly to see Yeosang climbing up onto the roof beside of him, dressed in similar robes, with his hair soaking wet.

“Hyung, you’re going to catch a cold if you sit out here with your hair like that.” Jongho was concerned, but Yeosang just smiled that knowing little smile Jongho knew all too well.

“Ah, so Mingi _was_ right. You _were_ thinking about me.”

A blush threatened to rise in Jongho’s cheeks. “How did you know that?”

“You only call me ‘hyung’ when you’re teasing me, or you’re feeling apologetic.”

Jongho opened his mouth to retort, to offer some muffled lie, but nothing came out. He just closed his mouth and quietly turned back around. Yeah, he had been thinking of Yeosang. _‘When am I not thinking about you?’_ stayed still on his tongue.

“… Jongho, I want to apologize to you. And please don’t interrupt me before I’m done.” Damn, Yeosang _did_ know him. Jongho just kept his mouth shut and nodded. Neither of them looked at one another.

“Jongho, I haven’t forgotten what we said at Seven Seas Port. We made up then. Everything from the past forgotten, and we decided to… try and be together despite me not having my old memories of you. And I still want to do that. But I pushed you away after Acid Tokyo. And I want to apologize.”

That made Jongho turn back to look at his hyung. Yeosang was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, arms around his legs, and his chin atop his knees. His beautiful, warm eyes staring out to the villages below, the stars twinkling in them as the wind swept his blond hair back. He really, really was the most beautiful thing Jongho had ever seen.

“Hyung.” Jongho’s voice softened, but there was something firm still about it. “You don’t need to apologize for that. I understand. Honestly, I understand. If I watched you suddenly snap and try to kill either of the hyungs, I would have needed time to myself too.”

Yeosang smiled a little, shoulders shaking in a silent laugh. There was… a lot of distance between them right now. Physically, but also emotionally. Both of them were holding in too much. Maybe… apologies and moving on were what they needed.

“I guess we’re both feeling guilt, aren’t we?” Yeosang’s voice softened as he pulled his legs tighter to his chest. “I don’t think I deserve you most of the time. Someone who loves me enough to do everything you’ve done. Someone who… looks at me like I’m really worth something. I don’t think I’ve done anything to deserve it.”

“You have. Even if you don’t remember me from the past, you have. You’ve always been there for me. You’re… the only thing I’ve ever had. Even now, without any memories of me before these last few months, you’ve stayed by me. That means more to me than anything else.”

This time, Yeosang turned his head to face Jongho too. There was something… sad flickering in his eyes. Something longing that made Jongho want to wrap his arms tight around the elder, but he knew he couldn’t yet. He just couldn’t.

“I think we were meant to be, you know. I don’t think there’s a force out there that can keep us apart, huh?” Yeosang laughed a little, the light barely reaching his eyes. “I want… I want to go home, Jongho. I want this to end. This is all my fault. It’s my memories we’re chasing. If it wasn’t for me, everything would be better. We shouldn’t have gone on this journey. It isn’t—it isn’t worth the pain—”

“It is!” Jongho didn’t care that he was interrupting his prince. Not anymore. “Yeosang, you would have _died_. I can’t—I _refuse_ to let you die. And the hyungs would agree with me! They had stuff going on because of that guy anyways, but we’re together now. No matter what, we’re all in this together. Nothing is anyone’s fault but his! He made our lives this way for his own wish, it isn’t anyone else’s fault!”

Oh. He managed to shift the blame, even though he had no idea what the man’s name was, nor did he know what he looked like.

Jongho calmed himself down, taking in a deep breath before reaching his hand out between them. “I know because I’m blaming myself too. For Hongjoong-hyung getting hurt. For Seonghwa-hyung having to become a vampire. For all of the pain I’ve caused all of you on this journey. Because of the seal—but it all goes back to that guy. It isn’t anyone else’s fault. And all we have right now is each other to get through this. Till it ends.”

Yeosang’s gaze flickered down to the hand between them, and wordlessly moved himself closer, until he was pressed to Jongho’s side. Mustering all of the braveness within him, Jongho moved his arm to wrap around Yeosang’s shoulders.

They sat in the comfortable silence for a while. Until the lanterns in the villages began to go out and the sounds of nature grew louder. Yeosang curled up against his side, with Jongho humming quietly between them.

For that time, they let themselves absorb what was said and what was not said. If Jongho had to guess, they had both, on their own, already tried to work things out. But sometimes… it helped to have someone else with you. Someone who knew what you were going through and could help in a way no one else could.

So maybe no words were spoken. But the bond they shared was so much deeper than words. Trauma would take time to work through. But Jongho felt in that moment that together, they could conquer anything.

Eventually, Yeosang was the one who pulled back and sat himself back up straight. Still not talking, he reached down and took Jongho’s hand into his own. With his free hand, Jongho watched as Yeosang traced the lines on his hand, over his knuckles, and over their joined hands. Jongho didn’t dare speak, afraid to break the spell between them.

“Jongho.” Yeosang spoke up, voice soft as the night sky. “Tell me again about the night I lost my memories.”

Jongho swallowed, tongue quickly peeking out to lick over his lips. “I—I told you before. It was almost your birthday. I took you… I took you to our place under the temple. Where the water flowed, and the moon lit the water and made the broken marble floors glitter. I… was confessing my love to you finally. Then… you lost your memories. You didn’t really have time to respond to me properly. But I told you I liked you. I always have.”

Yeosang paused, quiet again as his fingers trailed over Jongho’s knuckles. “Were you going to kiss me, Jongho?”

Jongho felt his heart speed up in his chest. “I—what?”

“Were you going to kiss me?” Yeosang repeated, a little louder the second time.

“I… I don’t know. Probably?” Jongho could feel red heating his cheeks, his eyes trained on the top of Yeosang’s blond head. “If you had let me. I would have kissed you.”

This time, Yeosang lifted his head, until his warm, beautiful eyes met Jongho’s. Jongho could have sworn he saw the entire universe in them.

“Will you kiss me this time?”

Jongho had no proper way to respond to that with words. No, this was not something that required words. Yeosang was looking up at him, eyes mixed with want, with fear, with worry—and with longing that matched the same longing in Jongho’s eyes. Yes, Jongho would kiss him this time. Jongho would kiss him any time his prince asked him to.

This time, Jongho didn’t speak. He simply raised his free hand and tucked Yeosang’s hair behind his ear, his eyes scanning over the curve of Yeosang’s lips, up to the blush dusting across the elder’s nose. Jongho’s fingers slipped back into his prince’s hair as Yeosang’s pretty eyelashes fluttered, his eyes closing.

Jongho had thought of this for… well, years. Years spent by his prince’s side, watching Yeosang grow more and more beautiful, more kind, more… incredible. Years passed and Jongho’s love for him only grew. He thought maybe at some point his heart would grow full, that he couldn’t possibly love Yeosang more—but it didn’t. His heart was filled with endless love for his prince. And he would love Yeosang with everything in him for as long as he could.

Jongho leaned in, hand gently tilting Yeosang’s head back more, and finally kissed his prince.

Jongho wouldn’t say there was fire or fireworks or anything crazy when he kissed him. No, nothing like that. But there was warmth. There was the feeling of completion, of peace, of… coming home. He kissed his prince slow, the pressing of soft lips together, letting Yeosang be the one to part his lips and invite Jongho for more.

Even then, Jongho took it slow. Perhaps they didn’t have all the time in the world considering what they were up against in the universe, but they had time now to be slow. To experiment, to grow used to one another. And with Yeosang’s hands slipping up to grip onto his shoulders, Jongho knew he was doing just fine.

When they finally parted, soft pants shared between them as their foreheads pressed together, Jongho knew he was home. Wherever Yeosang was… was his home. Yeosang was his home.

Jongho lifted his head to press a kiss to Yeosang’s forehead, and the elder let out a breathy little laugh. His prince’s kiss-red, slick lips, ruffled hair, and the blush high in his cheeks looked so beautiful on him. Jongho hadn’t thought Yeosang could get more beautiful… but the elder was always full of surprises.

“… Will you come back to my room, Jongho?”

And, well, who was Jongho to deny his prince?

\---

Seonghwa stayed by Hongjoong’s bedside the entire three days Hongjoong was asleep.

The only time the elder had left was to bathe, and that was really only because he didn’t want Hongjoong to wake up and think he smelled bad. Which was such a strange thing to be concerned over, but Seonghwa’s mind was running a hundred miles a minute—and every little thing concerned him. He even made sure his hair was fixed everyday, that his robes were clean, that Hongjoong had everything he needed for when he woke up.

If nothing else, these thoughts and concerns were just what Seonghwa was using to cope with the thoughts the silence of the long days brought him.

It was his fault Hongjoong was like this, right?

It was Seonghwa’s fault he had run away from Hyungsik. His fault that the man had gone crazy for power and searched the worlds for his magical signature. Had he just given into Hyungsik’s wishes, maybe Hongjoong would be better—

No. No, he couldn’t think like that. He had to come to terms with knowing that he had been lied to his entire life. It wasn’t his fault that Seonghae died. He had been tricked—and it wasn’t his fault Hyungsik was crazy for power. He couldn’t blame himself. And he couldn’t… continue to allow guilt to eat at him. To pull him under and drown him until he was a shell of himself again. It was that man’s fault. The same one who had hurt all of them. And he had to remember it and not feel guilty, though his mind wanted to.

He had spent centuries feeling guilty. Being a mage meant power, magic, a long life, but it meant having too much time on his hands as well. Too much time to think about how he should have done things differently or what life would have been like had he never had magic. Too much time spent being treated like dirt and gaslit by Hyungsik until his entire body had drowned in those very thoughts the king wanted him to think.

Seonghwa had been made to believe that anyone who got close to him would die. That his magic was only destructive, he was too out of control and powerful, and he would only bring ruin to people. How could one simply bounce back from centuries of those thoughts? How was he supposed to get better when he had no idea how? How could he just… forget the past?

How was he supposed to see himself as anything other than a monster?

He didn’t believe he was worthy of love and attention. He had told Hongjoong off handed in Giverny Town that he dreamed of being whisked off his feet. And then Hwandon happened. And then Hwandon happened and Hongjoong happened. Hongjoong had stayed by his side, had cared for him, even when it was hard. Hongjoong had kissed him and proven to him that he cared for him more than anything else.

For anyone else, moving forward would have been easy. But for Seonghwa, all he could think about was the pain he was going to cause Hongjoong when the younger got close to him. And in the end, he had been right. He had been all too right.

On the ship _Alligator_ , Hongjoong had promised he would show him just how much Seonghwa meant to him. And it was then that Seonghwa grew more frightened than ever. More insecure than ever. It was then that he had curled up on himself and decided he had to push Hongjoong away as far as he could. He couldn’t allow him to get any closer. He couldn’t let Hongjoong get hurt because of him.

But Hongjoong only pushed. He pushed, and pushed, and did everything to keep Seonghwa with him. Even bound their lives together by making his blood the only blood Seonghwa could drink now that he was a vampire. All because he cared. Because he loved Seonghwa more than anything.

And Seonghwa repaid him by nearly getting him killed and breaking his family’s sword.

Seonghwa loved him. He loved Hongjoong more than anything else. With all of his ties to other worlds gone, Hongjoong and the kids were all he had left. And with all of the fear in his life being pushed behind him, with Hyungsik finally dead and his brother truly laid to rest, Seonghwa didn’t want to ever lose Hongjoong again. No, this time, he would make things right. He would tell Hongjoong how he felt, and they could pursue… whatever Hongjoong would allow. He would take all the other would give.

That was why Seonghwa sat silently at Hongjoong’s bedside day in and day out.

On the second day, he had been brought his own futon and blanket, and he would sleep in it next to Hongjoong at night. Each night, he dreamt of Hongjoong dying, bleeding out in his arms and staining his skin red. Each night, he awoke with tears streaming down his cheeks, and Hongjoong still asleep on the futon next to him. There was no rest for Seonghwa. There might never be again.

The sun had just set, and the deep purple light filtered in from the cracks of the curtains in Hongjoong’s room. Seonghwa was still sitting next to Hongjoong’s bed, hands in his lap, his eyes carefully watching the rise and fall of Hongjoong’s chest.

“You look lost in thought again, Seonghwa.”

Vampiric hearing had meant he had heard the footsteps before they made it to the door. He had been given the time the past three days to map what everyone’s footsteps. And these light, poised ones he knew were the prince’s.

Yunho. Seonghwa didn’t even turn his head to the prince, did not bow and greet him, though he knew he needed to. He just couldn’t bring himself from watching Hongjoong. As though the moment he turned, Hongjoong might die.

“… forgive me.” Seonghwa spoke quietly, voice raspy from unuse. “There’s a lot to think about.”

“No need to apologize to me.” Yunho walked slowly, carefully to the window next to where Hongjoong laid. Seonghwa could hear the sounds of thick, royal purple robes dragging the ground as he walked across the floor. But Seonghwa still did not speak. “I’ve told you before, but Hongjoong will be alright. He will live. Please, find peace in that.”

Seonghwa swallowed, mind tired, and not thinking before he spoke. “But how do you _know_ that? Forgive me, your highness, but I don’t understand how you can find peace when you saw him dying on the ground next to me. I still don’t understand how we got here.”

Yunho said nothing, but Seonghwa saw out of the corner of his eye the curtains begin to part, The moon had risen, and Yunho was staring out at it.

“I met Hongjoong’s mother once.” He mused. “I met her in a dream.”

“A… dream?” Now Seonghwa was even more confused.

“Yes. My family has had magic running through it for centuries. Centuries of fighters, mages, and the like. My magic did not manifest when I was younger. Or so I had thought. I had no idea that people did not traverse the world of dreams when they slept. Mingi was there the first time I dream-walked into another person’s mind. It scared me. It took practicing, but… I got better at it.”

Seonghwa did not speak, and still did not tear his eyes away from Hongjoong. But he listened and he listened intently.

“I would mostly walk in the dream-plane and meet others like me. Talk to them and see if they could tell me how to control this magic. And it was nice. One time, when I was a few years older, I fell asleep and did not walk into the dream-plane. I walked into a black void, where I could hear and see nothing. But then… a boy walked out. Perhaps as old as I am now. Physically, that is. With lavender hair, skin that glowed like the sun, and covered in jewelry.”

It was then that Seonghwa’s had snapped up to look at the prince, who was still gazing longingly out to the moon. “Wooyoung? You’ve met Wooyoung? The Dimensional Witch?”

“I’ve met him a few times now. But yes, I met Wooyoung for the first time that night. There was a dying woman making her final wish. Wooyoung heard it. And she called for me. I went to her plane, and she told me her village had been destroyed, but asked if I could please save her son. I asked why me, and she said that she believed he had the best shot at becoming someone not consumed by his own anger from their village’s demise if he was with me. The price of her wish was for me to say yes. And I did. I went there right away with Mingi and my guards. And we brought him back here.”

“Wait—“ Seonghwa held his hands up, trying to stop Yunho before he could go further. “You spoke to his dying mother? The dead cannot dream, had she… fallen asleep?”

Yunho turned to Seonghwa with the sweetest smile he’d ever seen, matched with a pair of soft, glittering eyes. “People dream in their darkest moments, Seonghwa. And in those few milliseconds, the dream-plane can be accessed. The plane and magic work outside of time, so dream-walkers can speak to those in their darkest moments before they die… or believe they will die. It’s what allowed me to speak to her in her last few seconds after her heart made a wish.”

Seonghwa finally realized why Yunho was telling him all of this. Because he was trying to say that he had spoken to Hongjoong when they were in Hiemis. When the world was crumbling and Seonghwa couldn’t get into the portal… losing Seonghwa was one of Hongjoong’s darkest moments?

“… what did you tell Hongjoong in that moment, your highness?” Seonghwa found his voice again, though it cracked when he finally spoke.

“There was nothing I could do with my own magic to save Hongjoong or you either one. My magic doesn’t work like that. But I had an idea. I had other ways. I told you, the dream-plane works outside of time. So, I spoke to Wooyoung. He told me there was only one in a million instances of the future he could see where you both lived.”

Yunho shut the curtain, but the moonlight still filtered in through the crack. “I traded my dream-walking abilities to know how to save you both. For Wooyoung to give me the one outcome where you both lived. And he told me how to do it. Then, I told Hongjoong to open the portal more, the world needed sacrifice. So, he sacrificed his blood and the remains of his family’s sword. And it opened the portal enough for you to come through. And then the last part of the wish was you be brought here so I could help you.”

A prince with magic spanning his entire family, magic that surely made them royalty here, who didn’t even know Seonghwa, gave his own abilities up… just to help save him? He could only stare at the prince with his mouth hanging open. How? How could someone care so much about someone… like Seonghwa?

“Why would you give up something so incredible for…” Seonghwa’s voice trailed off, his mind unsure of how he wanted to end that sentence.

Yunho, with all of his grace, just continued to smile. “You’re a fantastic person, Seonghwa, whether you realize it now or not. Hongjoong would dream of you and dream of the days you had, and I would quietly watch. You are his person. I believe the moment you had together fighting your former king proves that well enough. You’ve always been destined to be together. And Hongjoong… is my life’s treasure. I love him with everything in me. And I made a promise to his mother to fulfill her wish and see he be the best person he can be.”

With his heightened vampire abilities, Seonghwa could… sense, almost smell the warmth in Yunho’s voice when he spoke. He could sense the honestly and love in Yunho’s words, and it wasn’t something he was used to—it wasn’t something he thought he deserved either. But… he would have to think otherwise. He had to start thinking otherwise.

Yunho walked over and knelt down across from Seonghwa, Hongjoong laying asleep between them. “And I believe with my entire heart that he can only be his best self when he’s by your side. And I think you can only be your best self with him at your side too.”

Yunho was right. Of course he was. Seonghwa licked over his lips, feeling then the sting of tears in his eyes. He blinked only once, and they began to drip down. He used the sleeve of his new robes, black and gold ones given to him by Yunho, to wipe at the tears streaming down his cheeks.

Seonghwa spent centuries wondering if there was anything in the world that could save him. If there was anyone worth fighting for, that would whisk him off his feet and make everything better. And he knew now there was. It was Hongjoong, and he was never going to let him go. He was going to make things right. He would make things better, starting from right then.

It was going to be hard and terrifying to work through everything he had going on, but he knew in his heart the thing he wanted most was a future with Hongjoong. Once all of this was over, maybe… they could really begin something together. Seonghwa had never dreamed that he would settle somewhere after the journey. He had no future planned. But he was sure he and Hongjoong would be fine.

Yunho stood and fixed his robes before rounding Hongjoong’s futon and heading towards the door. “I’ll have the servants bring you some tea. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Seonghwa. Life may hand us hardships, but they can be overcome. Don’t rely on yourself alone. There are many people around you who would love to help you and be there for you. Mingi and I included.”

Seonghwa really was collecting a little found family now, wasn’t he?

“Thank you, your highness. That means more to me than you could ever know.” He spoke softly, so softly he was unsure if Yunho could hear him.

“Take it easy, Seonghwa.” Seonghwa heard the door open, but he didn’t turn to see the prince leave. “And just call me Yunho, okay? We’re friends now.”

“… yeah.” Seonghwa let out a wet little laugh as the tears continued. “We’re friends now, Yunho.”

\---

Hongjoong dreamt of Seonghwa dying.

He dreamt of every possible way Seonghwa could have died in Hiemis. Dreams of him being speared by magic, killed by Hongjoong’s own sword, of Seonghwa being left behind as the dark world crushed and consumed him—and every time Seonghwa screamed in pain and died before Hongjoong’s eyes, his world would go black before the cycle started once more. And he relived the fight over and over again.

The guilt was eating him alive. Having to watch and listen as his most beloved person cry out and beg for his help and his body be too heavy to move… it was horrific. It was his fault for always provoking Seonghwa about his magic and angering him, making him use it when he didn’t want to, and making that fucking king able to find him and drag him back into his own personal hell. Seonghwa had a lot wrong that wasn’t his fault, but Hongjoong knew this was his own.

Maybe he deserved to watch his beloved die for all of eternity like this. Like his own personal Tartarus that he could not hope to escape from. He only prayed that eventually his mind would grow numb and succumb to the knowledge that it was a dream he could not escape. Or, well, a hell he could not escape.

Any guilt he felt in his heart for what he had done in his life was worked out as he watched Seonghwa die. Worked out through him tearing at his hair and screaming during his dreams. And he had to come to terms with knowing he had always done the best he could do, and sometimes it was alright if that wasn’t enough.

Even becoming Seonghwa’s blood bank had been enough. It was awful, for Seonghwa to become what he had, but Hongjoong knew in the end it had been the right thing. And he couldn’t allow himself to think otherwise.

It felt like years had gone by before Hongjoong felt the ability to open his eyes. His body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, weighed down by thick chains that made him unable to even turn. But he… did. He finally opened his eyes after his world went black, needed to slowly blink as his eyes attempted to focus on the ceiling above him.

Something about the air around him. Even the ceiling seemed… familiar. But his brain was far too foggy to attempt to solve what it was that felt so familiar.

He heard something next to him.

Slowly, the former guard turned his head to see… Seonghwa. His most beloved—and he was alright. He wasn’t dying, no, he was just… sleeping. There was no cycle to be broken. And the throbbing, dull pain in his arm told him he wasn’t dreaming again. No, he was finally awake. And Seonghwa was alright.

He had little energy from being asleep for what he guessed was far longer than a single night. His other arm, the one free of stitches, slowly moved up so Hongjoong could finally reach out and touch the sleeve of Seonghwa’s robe. He looked… tired. Even as he slept peacefully, Seonghwa looked tired. Even so, he selfishly felt happy that Seonghwa was at least alive and by his side.

He ignored the stiffness in his bones and tried to turn on his good side to face Seonghwa, letting his fingers drift up to gently caress the elder’s cheek.

_“Please don’t forget how much I love you, Hongjoong.”_

Those words would never leave Hongjoong’s mind. Having Seonghwa saying _goodbye_ to him, watching him with tears in his eyes as he worked through his own mortality—no, no, it had been the worst damn moment of his life after losing his family. He would have done anything in that moment to save him. And, well, thanks to Yunho he did just that. He needed to find his prince and thank him. Needed to get home so he could finally talk to him about everything. Have… a long talk with him.

Hongjoong took his hand back just so he could use it to try and help push himself to sit up. It hurt, fuck his back hurt, and he groaned as he finally got himself to sit up. But he was up, and he could finally survey the room—and discover that it was his room.

Wait. He was home?

Yes, this was absolutely his room. It was the exact way he had left it. His swords were carefully mounted onto his walls, his belongings in chests along the back wall, the entire room ornate as the rest of the palace was… even his desk where he wrote his logs had the same papers and bottles of ink scattered on it. Yunho hadn’t moved a thing.

Hongjoong tried to move to stand so he could see his room, see his belongings and his home for the first time in months, but the second he placed pressure on his bad arm he hissed loudly into the room. And Seonghwa’s eyes snapped open.

They spoke no words. Where were they supposed to begin? Seonghwa’s eyes were wide as he too sat up next to Hongjoong, those same eyes scanning over Hongjoong’s body as if to try and find something wrong, before he looked back up at him.

“Look…” Hongjoong’s voice was raspier, scratchy from lack of use. “I know you’re probably angry at me—”

And then, Seonghwa punched him.

Hongjoong was stunned. Seonghwa had never even attempted to hit him—had never shown a desire to fight him, and now he was punching him after he nearly died saving his ass?

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Hongjoong rubbed at his head, but Seonghwa remained still.

“That,” Seonghwa spoke, hand still clenched into a fist, “was payback. For doing something so reckless that I nearly lost you forever.”

When Hongjoong’s head snapped up so he could retort something about Seonghwa being stupid for punching him, he finally saw the other’s eyes. Filled with tears, with relief washed over his entire face. Seonghwa wasn’t angry at him. He was happy, _relieved_ that he was awake. So, Hongjoong didn’t call him stupid. Just smirked at him.

“I’d do it all again.” Hongjoong spoke proudly, hand dropping back down to his lap. “I’d do anything to make sure you were safe.”

Seonghwa didn’t run from him this time, not like he had so many times before. No, Seonghwa was… well, hell, showing he was upset at the idea of Hongjoong leaving him was more emotion and closeness than they’d had since Hwandon. Hongjoong pushed, and Seonghwa ran. But now… it felt like Seonghwa was giving him a peace offering and waiting for Hongjoong to take it.

“… Yunho already told me everything. About the dream walking. About speaking to you.” Seonghwa spoke quietly, his hand finally lowered back into his lap. “About how you met. I know… everything. You’ve been out for about three days. Everyone is alright. Actually,” Seonghwa laughed, the sound light as air, “Mingi told me that Jongho and Yeosang have been in the same room for these three days. Sharing it together.”

Hongjoong scoffed, eyes rolling fondly. “They deserve to be normal kids for once. Let them have their fun.” But there was more that bothered him. “You’re talking like you haven’t seen them.”

“I haven’t. I left to bathe and that’s all. I just… wanted to be here when you woke up.” Seonghwa’s voice softened once more, and his eyes no longer met Hongjoong’s. No, they were now staring down intently at his clasped hands. “I’m sorry, Hongjoong. About before. About everything. I was… scared. I’ve watched everyone I’ve ever loved and cared about… die. Because of me. And I had considered myself a curse for everyone—but… I can’t think that way anymore. The king is gone. I’ve let Seonghae go. I have… to work on myself now. I can’t let the past continue to ruin my future.”

Seonghwa must have done a hell of a lot of thinking while he was asleep. Hongjoong felt a little guilty that perhaps what he had done would be triggering for the other, but Seonghwa seemed at peace despite his concern for his own wellbeing.

“… That’s what I thought about during this journey, you know. Growing from the past. Not letting it define me any longer.” Hongjoong offered, his own head turned so he could gaze out the windows at the moon above. “I was angry. Vengeful. I cared about nothing but myself. But then I found you guys. Then… I had these kids who needed guidance and an idiot mage who was hiding himself away. I gave myself away to you guys and hadn’t even noticed. For once, the burning hatred for my family’s loss didn’t consume me. I thought of you all instead.”

This time, Hongjoong reached a hand out between them, palms up, as his own sort of peace offering. He turned back to look at Seonghwa, who was staring at the hand. “There’s a lot we should discuss still. About Hwandon. About what’s happened in our lives. About what we’re going to do when this journey ends. I don’t know how you’re feeling, but I’m not going to be leaving your side. I don’t know where life will take us, but I’m not letting you go. You said in Giverny you wanted someone to whisk you off your feet? Fine. Let that be me.”

Seonghwa silently took his hand after a few moments. When he looked up at Hongjoong, his cheeks were splotched red, and tears that had swelled in his eyes began to drip down them. “You bound yourself to me in Acid Tokyo. If I want to stay alive, I have to stick with you. But… I wouldn’t want to live if not to be with you, I don’t think. I think you’ve given me plenty of reasons to keep living.”

Hongjoong gave Seonghwa the softest smile that he could as his hand drifted up to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks. This would be a fresh start for them. Broken down, beaten, tired, but ready to try again. To try and be something, be _together_ , for the first time. Not… what they were before.

“I’m still sorry about turning you into a vampire.”

“You should be _sorry_ that you keep putting your life on the line for me.” Seonghwa reached up to let the tips of his fingers just barely brush over Hongjoong’s stitches on his other arm. “No more of that. No more putting your life on the line for any reason. If we’re—if we’re going to give this a shot, I need you to promise me you won’t.”

Hongjoong nodded, and resisted flinching back when his arm was touched. He was just thankful that Seonghwa was wanting to be close to him.

“As long as you promise to not shut me out anymore. I don’t think I can take having you continually pulling me in and then pushing me away anymore. I promise I’ll be here to help you through everything—just promise you’ll stay by my side too.”

“Okay.” Seonghwa grinned, cheeks still wet, and took Hongjoong’s hand back into his own so he could squeeze it. “I promise. I promise I won’t leave you again. Not ever. We can work out what we do when this is over whenever the time comes.”

Hongjoong grinned back and used his one good arm, the hand Seonghwa held, to yank the man forward until he was in Hongjoong’s lap. He pulled a little too hard, the position awkward, and Seonghwa essentially had his body slammed into Hongjoong’s and almost knocked the already wounded man over.

“Hongjoong, be careful!” Seonghwa pulled back, though Hongjoong’s arm kept him on his lap. “You’re going to hurt yourself more!”

“Worth it.” Hongjoong looked up into the mage’s eyes, one blue for his magic, one gold from the vampiric blood, and Hongjoong thought he had known beauty before Seonghwa—but he had been so sorely mistaken. “Now I get to do _this_.”

The arm around Seonghwa’s waist moved just so he could let his hand rest at the back of Seonghwa’s head. Bringing Seonghwa in to kiss him was easier this time than ever before, since Seonghwa picked up on what he was doing, cupped Hongjoong’s face with his hands, and met him halfway.

Kissing Seonghwa felt more like coming home than anything else in the world. His lips were soft, warm, and they just… _fit_ together. Hongjoong’s fingers curled into Seonghwa’s dark hair and Seonghwa’s tongue licked over his bottom lip, silently, but eagerly, asking him for more.

“Hey—” Hongjoong pulled back, much to Seonghwa’s surprise. The elder whined at him but Hongjoong just rolled his eyes. “Listen. You haven’t fed for a while, right?”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow but made no other movement. “No?”

“You’re hungry, right?”

“Yes—Hongjoong, did you really stop kissing me to ask if I needed to feed? Can’t that wait?”

Hongjoong, once more, rolled his eyes. “Do you trust me?” He waited for a slow nod. “I have an idea, then. A way we can have… a little fun while you feed. In fact, we could even stay in this position too. Make it easier on my other arm.”

Seonghwa didn’t… catch on immediately. “What are you talking about? How can me feeding—” And then, Seonghwa thought about it. And the blush in his cheeks deepened and a hand moved to cover his mouth. Hongjoong only continued to grin.

“Hongjoong, _seriously_? You would get off on that? Me _feeding_ from you while we _fuck_?”

“The thought entices me. C’mon, one way to find out, right?” Hongjoong’s one good hand was already tugging at the tie around Seonghwa’s robes. “Can’t know until we try.”

“You’re lucky I love you.” Is all Seonghwa said as he felt the cool air of the room hit his skin, and the robe pool around his waist.

“I love you too, Seonghwa. More than anything.”

\---

They had somehow spent an entire two weeks with Yunho and Mingi without realizing it. Hongjoong’s arm was free of stitches finally, though still bandaged up, and they had allowed themselves time to… relax. To relax and be normal people for once.

Seonghwa had finally taken the time to teach Jongho about his newfound magic. The younger had pleaded for Seonghwa to take it back, but in Seonghwa’s mind he didn’t need that much power any longer—and knowing the pain that Jongho was experiencing because of the man controlling him, Seonghwa figured the magic might come in handy one day. Maybe, just maybe, it would save him.

Hongjoong took to teaching Yeosang more combat moves and worked with his knowledge of sword fighting. He was a prince, so he had knowledge and some basic skills, but because Anthina hadn’t had a war in centuries, he was less knowledgeable than Yunho, whose country’s last war had been only a century before.

Yunho finally spoke to them all about what had happened with him and Hongjoong, why Yunho had been able to pull them there, and discussions of magic and stories of their pasts filled dinner conversations. It was the most normal any of them had felt in a long time.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa spent a lot of time together taking walks, talking, and getting to know one another better. Seonghwa had briefly told Yeosang one day as they explored Yunho’s library that they were together in the same way as Jongho and Yeosang, which made the younger turn a little pink, but they were taking their time to truly bond and get to know one another more deeply. But that they were happy, and that Seonghwa had never felt freer and happier in his entire life.

Yeosang was beyond happy for them. They had spent so much time quietly avoiding one another and still pining—it was hard to watch sometimes. But now, Yeosang would see them holding hands and walking the palace grounds, or see them next to each other at dinner, in their own little world, laughing and keeping close. It made Yeosang happier than anything else.

Yeosang and Jongho had grown… quite closer in their time together. In ways Yeosang would have never imagined but was happy for regardless. Jongho made him feel safe and cared for always. He helped when he was upset and loved him no matter what. They were boyfriends, sure, but it was embarrassing to say so. They just grinned whenever it was mentioned, and Jongho always reached between them to take Yeosang’s hand. It felt wonderful to be in love and to finally feel like he was living a normal life.

But nothing lasted forever.

They were all seated for dinner as they had done for the past two weeks, discussing their lives, discussing the day’s events, when the room grew dark—and from nowhere, a rift in space opened up.

Jongho, Hongjoong, and Mingi all jumped to stand in front of Yeosang, Seonghwa, and Yunho, their swords unsheathed in their hands, ready to fight whoever was coming to them. Even Yeosang and Yunho had their hands on their own swords, Seonghwa’s hands crackling to life with magic. They were ready, but as the magic smoke that filled the area around the rift began to settle.

Standing in the rift was a boy with skin that glowed like the sun, with lilac hair, leather pants, a loose purple shirt that dipped unbuttoned down his chest, and his body covered in jewelry. And another boy, with red streaks in his black hair, in a pair of black cargo pants tucked into black boots, and a simple white t-shirt on. Both smiling, with their hands clasped together.

The Dimensional Witch himself and his lone employee.

Yeosang had spoken to Wooyoung many times using Hehetmon’s magic. But he had never seen him in person before. He was asleep the only time they had spoken to him in person. He had spoken to San briefly as well, but usually only if he happened to be there when Yeosang spoke to Wooyoung.

Wooyoung had helped him with his wish for Jongho a new sword, had been his only friend in the beginning when Yeosang was without his memories and lost. And he was finally, finally getting to meet him.

“Wooyoung, Wooyoung! You’re here!” Hehetmon flew right over and circled the witch, who just laughed as the little creature moved back.

“Yikes, looks like you guys were expecting someone else.” San pointed to the… many swords pointed at them. Everyone just sighed in relief and put their weapons away. Wooyoung laughed the entire time.

Yeosang himself moved forward and hurried to quickly wrap his arms tight around Wooyoung, who only snickered more and wrapped Yeosang in a tight hug.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Prince Yeosang.” Yeosang pulled back first, but Wooyoung held him by the hands so he didn’t get too far. “You seem a lot happier than the last time we spoke.”

“I am.” Yeosang laughed, shy and sweet. “I’m very happy.”

Seonghwa walked up behind Yeosang, placing a hand onto the younger’s back. “Wooyoung, why don’t you and San join us for dinner? We just sat down, I’m sure Yunho wouldn’t mind.”

Yeosang held onto the witch’s hands, but San just frowned and wrapped an arm around Wooyoung’s shoulders. When Yeosang tried to pull Wooyoung into the room, the witch yanked back. Curiously, Yeosang looked down to notice that Wooyoung and San refused to leave the rift in which they stood in.

“Unfortunately, Woo and I can’t do that. Not now. Maybe not ever.” Wooyoung let go of Yeosang’s hands as San spoke, and Jongho came up to gently pull Yeosang back.

“What’s going on?” Hongjoong spoke up now from his place beside Mingi. “What do you mean you can’t have dinner with us? Just come in, it’s simple. You’re not imposing.”

“It isn’t that.” Wooyoung spoke slowly, his eyes drifting towards Yunho. They shared a few silent moments together, and the other prince only nodded his head. Yeosang kept looking between them, confusion and anxiety bubbling in his stomach. Wooyoung didn’t just make himself known places. He… never left the shop. He couldn’t, could he?”

Yunho walked up this time, closer to the rift. “I believe I know what this is. But even I’m curious as to why you can’t leave the rift. Or how you were able to leave the shop at all.”

San gave a sad smile. “That’s my fault. But, uh, it’ll take a lot of explaining. And we don’t have time for that. Not in your world, at least.”

“Our world?”

“Let me explain. San is being cryptic.” Wooyoung laughed a little, but even Yeosang could see the stiffness in the way he held himself. “I need you all to come with me. We’re running out of time and the place we’re in works in a different time plane. I can talk to you there and it have no effects on you or the journey.”

Mingi tilted his head curiously at the witch. “Running out of time for what, exactly? I thought they had a lot of time for the journey. Isn’t that the point?”

“The journey is over.”

Wooyoung’s voiced ushered in silence amongst the entire room. The journey was… over? Weren’t they supposed to be gone a lot longer? See a lot more worlds?

“Eden has made his move. He’s ending this because he has just enough for his wish. He’s going to destroy everything, and I have little time to prepare you. San and I hurried as fast as we could when I felt his magic change, but… he’s already moving. Gather everything you need for a fight and come back here immediately. I need to explain Eden and our old world to you. I need you to be prepared. I need you to know everything about him, about me, and about the Order we came from.”

“We need all of this for… what? To be prepared for just a fight?” Hongjoong spoke up, but to Yeosang’s worried mind he sounded a thousand miles away.

“Prepared for the fight of your life.” Wooyoung looked right at Yeosang now, eyes sympathetic. “A fight that might destroy every world as we know it if you’re not careful. You all are all I have left. This journey is my fault. Please let me fix everything. For me and for my friends who were lost the last time Eden tried to do what he’s about to do.”

All of them walked forward, huddled together, in front of the rift Wooyoung and San stood in. Suddenly, there was a sense of determination that Yeosang had never felt before around him.

“Alright.” Hongjoong, their unspoken leader’s voice spoke up. “Give us five minutes to gather what we need, and we’ll come with you.”

Wooyoung smiled. Tight, worried, but a smile nonetheless. “I’ll be right here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before, the next chapter will tie in everything I've touched on but never had explained. It will be entirely in Wooyoung's POV and a little of San's. And then... the big end fight!
> 
> The big end fight might take me time, but I promise it'll be worth it! And I'm conidering making a follow up fic sometime after just as a nice little epilogue. Please let me know if you'd want the epilogue sometime after or if you'd like me to just make the final chapter rather long and include the little epilogue there.
> 
> (Not saying the epilogue would open up the doors for the next series about the darker Yeosang that this fic's Yeosang met in Acid Tokyo, but... maybe it does.)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! I'll see you guys in the next one!!


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